The Strange Rescuer--A Transformers Fan Fiction
by BBPRIMEFAN101
Summary: Lily's life has been haunted by nightmares of her mother's tragic, gory death, and has been haunted by the question of who, or what, killed her. But she never thought these 'metallic beings' would interfere with her life again. And when her life is plagued by tragedy once more, something, or someone, comes to her aid. (UPDATED...again )
1. Chapter 1

**The Strange Rescuer—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

**A/N: most TF characters are mentioned or described, but not specifically named!**

Lily had that nightmare again.

She's had it for as long as she could remember. The nightmare was always the same: she would be fast asleep in her crib, then she'd hear a woman screaming. Her crib was low to the floor so she was able to crawl out. She waddled to where she heard the scream come from, and she poked her head inside and gasped. There before her was her mother being suspended in the air by her neck in the grasp of a large, skinny metallic creature with jet wings on its back, and it had piercing red eyes.

"I will not ask again, female fleshling!" the strange being roared with a raspy voice. "Tell me what you know about them!" Little 2-year-old Lily shivered at the creature's hissing voice.

"I…I don't k-know…a-anything a-about them…I-I swear…" Lily's mother croaked.

Lily whimpered softly as she slowly rose to her feet, supporting herself and clinging onto the threshold of her parents' room. "M-Mama…" she whispered. She longed for her papa to come home, but with traffic backing up because of debris from explosions and fires occurring in the city, little Lillian knew Papa wouldn't be home anytime soon.

The metallic thing sneered and narrowed his eyes. "I see I am getting nothing from you," he said slyly. Then a wicked grin grew on his face as he held his clawed hand up in the air above Lily's mother. "My orders are to retrieve any information of the cursed Autobots from any, and everyone who's encountered them, and terminate them so they do not reveal what they have seen. But seeing that you aren't willing to cooperate…" With a flick of his fingers, the claws on his hands elongated and reflected the light, and they made a sheering sound that sent chills down little Lily's spine.

"N-No…No, please…I—That's all I know, I swear it…! Please, don't-!" Lily's mother begged, but she was silenced when the large being swung his claw down, slashing her neck, her chest, and her face. Blood gushed from every wound created and poured to the floor, dripping from her mother's fingertips and toes. Her limbs twitched, and she choked on her own blood as it flooded her lungs. Her eyes were wide, then they relaxed; her limbs hung motionless, and the remaining air hissed out of her body. The metallic man grinned at the slaughtered woman in his grasp and cruelly flung her body to the side.

Lily watched in horror her mother's body crash to the floor on the other side of her room, who soon was swimming in a pool of her own blood. Large, hot tears flowed from her widened green eyes as she whimpered fearfully and shuddered. She hoped to see her mother move. She watched her closely for any signs of life. No movement was ever seen. "MAMAAAAA!"...

* * *

7-year-old Lily McElroy awoke with a scream. She held her breath as she recollected herself and tried to figure out where she was and what has happened. She was in her room, in her bed, and she just woke up from the nightmare. She took in a fresh breath and let it out with a shudder as she pulled her legs inward and hugged them. Her eyes flooded with tears as her mother's screams and begs echoed in her thoughts, as well as the sound of flesh being slashed, and blood spilling onto hard-wood floor. Lily felt utterly sick to her stomach as those sounds replayed in her mind, and the tears flowed down her cheeks and dripped off her chin, staining her blanket. She struggled to push the images of the metallic monster with the red eyes, and her mother's bloodied body out of her mind, struggling so much her head pounded in pain. Lily had had the same nightmare ever since it happened. And the more she had them, the more realistic they felt. But none would ever be as realistic as the real thing. No matter how hard she tried, even after years of therapy, she could never forget what she had witnessed. However, some things from that dreadful night did fade, such as the clearness of the metallic man's voice. The older she became, the more Lily seemed to forget exactly how it sounded. And what troubled her, is that the being never noticed her when she shouted out. The only things she'll never erase from her mind are the metallic being's dark, glowing red eyes. Red as the blood that stained the wood floor…the irremovable stain…

Lily jumped when she heard her door squeak open, and looked to see her father entering with a glass of water. He looked at her with friendly eyes and a sad smile, and she shuddered a sigh of relief at the sight of a familiar face.

"You had it again, didn't you?" he asked her. Lily pressed her lips together and nodded as she hung her head, trying to hide her sniffles and tears. Papa sat next to her on her bed, handed her the glass of water and rubbed her back. "Shhh, there, there, Lil. It's alright." He wanted to say it was only a dream and that it wouldn't hurt her, but he knew it wasn't the truth. What happened that night to his wife would be unforgettable to both of them. Though he found Lily's description of the killer quite strange. He only wished he was there that night, he might have done something to help. But he'd never know. He regretted ever going to that business meeting. If he was at home and not caught up in traffic from the wreckage in the city because of the explosions that took place, that night could have ended differently.

He remembered that night in the city well. He had seen the fight between two teams of metallic beings that appear to be made out of earth vehicles from his office. He was merely sitting in his place at the table during a meeting with his colleagues when the glass suddenly breaks as something flew or crashed into the building. Mr. McElroy raced to the window and looked out to see the entire town square in ruins; buildings were on fire, rubble blocked the streets, and half of the city's electricity was down. He looked to the horizon and saw two different metallic creatures dueling out on a rooftop; they clashed swords and shot laser cannons that came out of their arms, and he could have sworn he saw one…change into a jet; and the other jumped down from the building and changed into a Camaro. Both were headed in the direction of his home. In a rush of panic, he fled out of the building with most of his fellow workers, started up his car and zoomed through what little space there was on the road left. However, the traffic stopped him from going any further. Sitting in the congested street for over an hour, he managed to pass by and sped directly to his house. When he got there, he heard Lily sobbing and screaming from upstairs, and he saw his wife bloodied and lifeless, curled up in the corner of their room. He took little Lily in his arms and cradled her as they sobbed together. Since that day, Lily had been home-schooled, and Mr. McElroy worked at home in his own office; he vowed to never let anyone harm his family. Especially since he knew those beings were still out there.

Lily managed to calm down after a while and let her body lay limp in her papa's arms as he rocked back and forth, humming her favorite lullaby. Her father's steady hand rubbing her back and his deep, yet soft voice humming in her ear felt soothing, relaxing, and she soon gave in to the sleepiness in her eyes and allowed them to droop. Mr. McElroy laid her back down and tucked her in once she was fast asleep again, kissed her forehead, gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then crept out of her room, leaving the door cracked...

* * *

Saturday was Lily's favorite day of the week, and not just because she didn't have to learn. No, it was her favorite because she and her papa would go to the park after work, and they'd stay there and watch the sun set over the hills. It was like a family tradition. Lily's grandmother would take her mother to the park and do the exact same thing; surprisingly, her papa's father did the same as well. That was how her parents met.

While her father sat on a bench going through work papers, Lily scampered to the swings and sat on it facing the city. Though she was seven-years-old, she was small for her age, so her feet still hung above the ground; and she had trouble sitting on the swing. As she sat there swinging her legs and watched a green Hummer drive by, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up at the street corner and gasped, then hopped off the swing and raced over to her father.

"Papa, Papa!" she blurted out and frantically pointed at the street corner. "I just saw an ambulance turn into a giant robot! Look!" They both looked, but there was nothing there.

"There isn't anything there, Lil. Now go on and play while I finish up this paperwork," Mr. McElroy said.

"But…But it was there. I saw it!" Lily exclaimed.

"Of course you saw it," said a bearded stranger, and he approached them with a wide smile.

Lily gasped a little as the stranger came closer and hugged her father's arm. Apparently, her papa seemed to know the man. "Hello, Leonard," Mr. McElroy said without looking up from his work.

The decrepit man named Leonard winked at him and gave his head a nod, then he leaned down towards Lily with a friendly smile. "Now don't ya listen to yer ol' man here, sweetheart. I know you saw what ya saw 'cause I saw it, too. That there was Ratchet."

Lily blinked. "R-Ratchet?" she echoed the name.

Leonard nodded. "Oh, yes. He's one o' them Autobots."

"Autobots?"

"Leonard, quit filling my daughter's head with stories," Mr. McElroy said flatly.

"Oh, but they ain't stories, Charlie ol' boy," Leonard shook his bony finger then took Lily's tiny hand. "Come wit' me, dear, and I'll tell ya all 'bout them. See, these Autobots disguise themselves as vehicles, quite like that ambulance ya saw. But there's more o' them."

"More?" Lily asked, not knowing where her interest in this came from.

"Ohhh, yes, lil' missy," Leonard said. "There are five others, all o' them different vehicles. And they all follow the head honcho, the biggest of them all…"

"Okay, Leonard enough with your old fairy tales," Mr. McElroy said. "Lily, just ignore what he's saying and go play. He's a loon."

Leonard only chuckled and stood up. "Ohh, you can lie to yerself all ya like, Charlie, but ya know they exist. Ya said ya saw one 5 years ago." Lily gasped and turned to her papa.

This time, Mr. McElroy dropped his work and met eye to eye with the old geezer. "I _thought_ I saw one, but being in a bit of a stage of panic, my eyes may have been playing tricks on me. My colleagues and I were showered in a spray of glass, anyway. Now, enough of this nonsense."

Leonard held up his hands in defense and headed off after giving Lily a gentle pat on the head. Lillian couldn't get the old man's story out of her head now. She suddenly remembered her dream; she tried to picture the metallic man that haunted her life without going into much detail, and she began to wonder…_Was he an Autobot, too?...No...he couldn't be...that night he was seeking information about them...so what is he?  
_

Mr. McElroy watched Leonard stroll off and sighed, shaking his head. He knew the old man was right: he did see two metallic creatures change into earthly vehicles, but if he revealed it in front of his daughter, she might think the killer in her dreams was real, and could have a panic attack. He sighed again in relief that Lily didn't bug him about what Leonard meant, and instead she just headed back to the swing set.

Lily pulled herself onto the seat and swung her legs, ready to begin swinging when something else caught her eye: a car that was never there before. She gazed at a revving, yellow Camaro with black racer stripes. She wondered when did it get there, and while she wondered she spotted the green Hummer truck driving around the block. She frowned; that was the second time she saw the same truck drive around the same block.

Then she heard the roar of an engine over her head and looked up, squinting and blocking the sunlight. High in the sky were three jets, one leading the way and two flying behind it, making a triangle. Lily gasped as a piece of her nightmare flashed before her eyes…_jet wings_…Her mind raced with possibilities, questions popped up from nowhere. Her thoughts were interrupted when the Camaro's engine revved again and took off in the same direction of the jets—as well as the green Hummer truck. Her eyes faintly widened; what was going on?

Lily suddenly felt a violent shove on her back and she slipped off the swing and landed on the dirt. She yelped and winced in pain and heard obnoxious yet familiar laughter.

"My swing, McEl-weirdo!" Lily looked up to see a slight chubby boy in a green t-shirt and shorts. In other words: Daryl Patterson. "What's the problem, Lil? I thought you liked eating dirt!"

Lily hopefully expected her papa to see this, but he was sitting on the bench on the other side of the park. She wanted to cry out for him, but then she'd be teased further by the boy, so she just kept quiet.

"I thought I told ya, baby brat!" Daryl spat as he leaned into the tiny girl's face. "This is _MY_ swing! I called dibs on it first! And you know what I do to those who sit on my swing?!" Lily whimpered and hung her head as she pressed her hands into the ground. "You don't talk much. What's the matter? Did your mama take your tongue with her to her grave?! HAHA!" At that, Daryl let out a hard, uproarious laugh.

Lily felt tears stinging her eyes, yet they narrowed and glared with anger. Her heart pounded in her chest as Daryl's hurtful words replayed in her mind. How dare he say such a thing—about her. She curled her fingers into fists and realized she had taken in a handful of dirt into both of them. She had no idea what drove her into shoving those handfuls of dirt into Daryl's big mouth and flung them into his eyes and up his nose.

The bully gasped and fell backwards as he sputtered and gagged up clumps of spit and dirt, and he frantically rubbed his eyes of the dirt, coughing so hard he got the entire park's attention. Eventually he coughed and gagged hard enough to make himself vomit, and Lily jumped up onto the swing in time. _Now who likes eating dirt,_ Lily thought with a glare. Then, once he finished spewing up his lunch, Daryl just sat there in the dirt and wailed at the top of his lungs, pointing directly at Lily.

Daryl's mother came rushing forward with a towel, cooing her son and asking him if he was alright. Then Mr. McElroy rushed over and asked what had happened. Mrs. Patterson angrily explained what her son had told her and marched away from the park, carrying Daryl in her arms. Once the crowd died down, Mr. McElroy lifted Lily off of the swing and pulled her to the side.

"Lillian Abigail McElroy, what in the hell were you thinking?!" he hissed.

Now it was Lily's turn to cry. "I-I…I-I didn't m-mean to, Papa…He-He…He said m-mean things…a-about Mama—"

"That doesn't mean you can shove dirt down someone's throat. I thought you knew better," her father grumbled. After a long intense moment he grabbed her wrist. "Come on."

"W-Where a-are we going?" Lily sniffled.

"Home," Mr. McElroy grunted as he yanked her to his side. "And you are going to sit in your room and think about the choice you made!"

"No! Papa, no!" Lily wailed. She really didn't mean to do what she did to Daryl. She didn't even know what drove her to do it. But what he said about her mother…she couldn't let it stand. Lily began to tug and try to pull her arms free, but her father would just tighten his grip and pull her back beside him.

Mr. McElroy knew getting her across the street in a fit like this would be a hassle, so he picked her up and raced into the street. He heard a loud horn blaring out and the screeching of tires shrilled as a large semi-truck quickly came to a stop. "I'm walking here, pal!" he shouted and continued carrying Lily towards their home. Lillian stared at the truck through her tears, and was surprised to see the truck had no driver.

When they arrived home, Mr. McElroy plopped Lily onto her bed and told her to stay in her room until he told her she could come out, and he somewhat slammed the door on his way out. Lily laid on her bed softly crying into her pillow, fully regretting her actions back at the park, wishing to take them back and stop herself from doing it. She was ashamed of herself; she had a right to be angry, but she expressed it entirely the wrong way. She reached out and grabbed her rag-doll, slowly pulling it inward and hugging it close to her chest. "M-Mama…" she whimpered as she nuzzled the doll and continued to sob...

* * *

Lily must've cried herself to sleep because she suddenly felt her papa gently shaking her awake. She groggily sat up and moaned; her face felt dry from her tears and rubbed under her eyes. She met her father's gaze, and saw his eyes were friendly. He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair, and she sleepily smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry I got so snappy with you, Lil," he said.

Lily slightly frowned and shook her head. "No. I deserved it. I shouldn't have done what I did at the park. Now Daryl will find a way to get me back."

Mr. McElroy turned slightly towards her. "What exactly did he say about your mother that made you so angry?"

Lillian sucked in a deep breath, held it then released. "He said…he said that I hardly talked…and he asked if Mama took my tongue with her to her grave…" She watched Mr. McElroy's eyes widen a little then narrow down, as if he were thinking.

Then, her papa chuckled a little. "I actually find that funny rather than offensive. I wonder how long it took him to come up with that one." Lily seemed a bit confused, but she soon found herself giggling. "But you know, Lily, to never let anyone talk smack about your mama, but be sure you tell them to stop the right way. That doesn't include shoving dirt down a bully's throat." Lily laughed a little then cleared her throat with a nod. Mr. McElroy kissed her forehead and finished, "Just know…she's always with you and me, no matter what...You know that stain is still there?"

Lily solemnly nodded.

"Well…the truth is, hon…I can't decide whether to try and wash it away or to keep it there as a reminder." He let out a mournful sigh and glanced up at the sky through her window.

Lily knew what he was doing. Her papa was imagining her mama as an angel looking down on them with beautiful wings, surrounded in a bright light, wearing a smile brighter and warmer than the sun. He pictured that a lot. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Mama wouldn't want us to hold onto the past, Papa…She'd want us to move on, even though it's hard to. She knows there's no way to change what happened…but she wouldn't want that to stop us."

Mr. McElroy looked down at his tiny daughter and quivered a smile. "You are wise beyond your years, Lil." He draped an arm around her shoulder, and they gazed out her bedroom window, watching the sun disappear behind the hill. Once the sun had set, Mr. McElroy gave Lily permission to leave her room and he left her alone. Lily just sighed, changed out of her clothes into her favorite sleep shirt and shorts, slipped socks on her feet to keep them warm, and laid back onto her pillow, too exhausted to do anything, and she eventually fell back asleep...

* * *

Lily awoke with a scream. Not from the nightmare. But from a loud crashing noise coming from outside. She jumped out of bed and raced to her window towards the open field near the mountains, and she saw a large cloud of fire and rock quickly rise up into the sky. Another explosion. Then blue and red flashes of lights lit up the sky as they flew over the houses in the neighborhood. Another sonic boom in the distance made her scream and duck down. After the echo died down, she poked her head up and saw silhouettes of a large metallic being taking on a second.

She saw right below them, two other large metallic creatures were taking on much smaller ones. In the full moonlight, she could clearly see that one of them appeared yellow, and the other was green. They were firing laser cannons and swung swords, and when one of the smaller beings landed on them, they threw them overhead and into the dirt. Lily gasped; _Are these the Autobots Mr. Leonard was talking about?_

"Lily!" her papa's voice rang out, making her jump with a squeal. She turned around to see her father holding a flashlight and a gun in both hands. "Get away from the window, we're under attack!" Lily got a second quick glimpse at the metallic beings, and she noticed the fight going on between them was getting closer and closer to the neighborhood. Then she bolted out of her room alongside her father, sticking close to his side.

"Papa, what's happening?!" she wailed fearfully.

"Damn 'Cons are at it again," Mr. McElroy muttered under his breath, not hearing her question. Before she could ask again, a sonic blast erupted just outside their home, and every window ruptured; shards of glass went flying everywhere, scraping both Lily and her father on their arms and legs. She screamed and he groaned in pain, yet he pressed onward until he got to the guest room across the hall upstairs. "Lil, I need you to stay in here until I say it's safe to come out!"

"B-But what about you?!" Lily sobbed out of fear and pain.

"I'll be alright," he said in a rush. "Just stay in that room! I'm going to barricade the door, okay?! Now get in!" He guided her into the guest room, shut the door, barricaded it with a chair under the knob, then locked and loaded the gun he held and stood at the foot of the stairs. He was not about to risk losing anyone else in his family.

Lily cowered behind the bed in the guest room, sobbing heavily as she hugged her slashed knees. What was happening? These metallic creatures were fighting near her home. Did they now know humans were living in these homes?

Almost exactly after she wondered that, she heard a deep, powerful voice cry out, "Lead this fight away from the homes! We must not bring any harm to the humans!"

Lily gasped and crawled low to the window, cautiously peeping out of it. There right before her was a large metallic creature, battling another just like it, but its appearance was completely different. And his eyes…they glowed red…Lily felt shivers crawl up her spine. The creature with the red eyes had silvery armor, each tip looked as sharp as the tip of a spear, and its mechanical hands appeared like claws. Its teeth were jagged, and its face was shadowed by his helm, but was also lit up by those fierce red glowing eyes. Suddenly those red eyes locked onto hers, and the metallic being sneered. Lily gasped and told herself to move, but she wouldn't. She knew something was to happen, but she was unable to get out of the way. The second metallic being then turned towards her, revealing its bright blue eyes. This robotic creature had less points and more round edges, she imagined the plates all over its body were made to look like muscles on a human, and its eyes seemed friendlier. They seemed to widen when they saw her, and Lily locked onto them. She sensed something behind those eyes…she couldn't explain it, though, no matter how hard she tried.

Then, Lily gasped as she noticed the red-eyed metallic creature drawing out a large gun made out of the same metal as its skin, and pointed it at her. The blue-eyed being heard the weapon charging up, and with a roar its arm changed into a sword. It swung its weapon, and the gun exploded, knocking the red-eyed being backwards—and knocking the blue-eyed one forward towards the guest room. Lily screamed and ran towards the door; just as the giant robotic being crashed into the house, it created a large force powerful enough to knock the door down, and Lily barely escaped the wave of debris and splinters. She sobbed uncontrollably and crouched down in a corner as guns and sonic booms went off around her. She was desperate to know what was happening and why.

She then heard a familiar yell in agony and raced to the stair rail. Looking down she saw her father laying in a pool of his own blood, and his right leg was obliterated. "Papa!" she shrilled and raced down beside him.

He hazily glanced up at her as he groaned in sheer pain. "No…Lily! Get back upstairs…it's not safe for you!"

"Papa…you're hurt! Hurt real bad! You need to go to the hospital! Papa!"

Suddenly, the eastern wall of their home collapsed, and a cloud of debris, dust, ash and cinders, and that portion of the wall burst into flames when one of the lasers from the large robotic creatures fired at it, missing its target. Lily shrieked when the flames erupted suddenly, washing a massive heat wave over them both, choking out the air in what was left of their home.

Then, one of the smaller metallic beings with red eyes stepped into their home, right through the eastern wall. "Papa, Papa! Get up! Papa!" Lily urged as she tugged on her father's arm. The red-eyed robotic creature charged up a laser cannon it drew out of its arm; Lily's heart dropped into her stomach when she heard and saw it begin to charge up.

Mr. McElroy used up all his strength to get onto his one leg, lock and load his gun, then firing it straight into the robot's head. The robot seemed dazed for a moment, then its eyes flickered until they darkened, and the hunk of metal collapsed to the ground. Mr. McElroy let out a light laugh of satisfactory and turned to his daughter with a smile.

Lily's own smile instantly fell so suddenly, and her face turned sickly white. Mr. McElroy wondered what troubled her when he felt this throbbing pain in his chest and his back. He dared look down, to see a grappling hook sticking out of his chest, and the cord running through his body. His face fell as he wearily met eyes with his daughter. Tears poured from her eyes as he choked on her name, and she tried to crawl over to him, but she was too awe-stricken to even blink. Then, as his remaining leg went limp and his eyes rolled up and closed, the grappling hook ripped through his chest and out his back, ripping his spine and tearing out his heart, blood poured from both wounds, and Lily could see a gaping hole in the center of her father's chest. After a moment of being unable to breathe, she began hyperventilating, gripping her head and screaming bloody-murder. "PAPAAAA!"

The grappling hook wire came from the robot Mr. McElroy thought he had taken out. But apparently it wasn't finished yet. Lily watched in horror as her father's body fell to the floor, and then everything went black...

* * *

Lily awoke to the sound of fire crackling. She hazily opened her eyes and felt her head throbbing. She laid flat on her back, staring up at the starry sky with the moonlight shining down on her. Night looked peaceful. The air around her was quiet. There were no explosions, no gun fires. Nothing. Just the sound of the fire crackling behind her.

She slowly sat up; each movement ran a surge of pain through her body. Sitting on her knees and hanging her head, she looked around her. Her entire home was in ruins. Not a single wall remained standing. A few houses were damaged, but not as demolished as hers was. She was covered in dust and debris, and large chunks of brick and the inner walls circled her. Her body was sticky and cold, and she looked down to see her clothes and skin were coated in blood.

But it wasn't hers.

Lily suddenly felt tears flow from her eyes as she recollected all that had happened: her home being destroyed…her father missing a leg…the grappling hook plunging into his chest, then drawing back, taking his heart with it…Lily hung her head and sobbed, burying her face in her hands, whimpering and blubbering uncontrollably. "P-Papa…..Pa…Pa….." She fought the urge to scream at the sky and dug her nails into her wet, filthy face.

Then, she heard heavy, yet calm footsteps approach her. She didn't want to look up and see, but she slowly removed her hands and raised her head upwards. There, towering above her, was one of the large robotic beings. She recognized the blue eyes. The moon cast down on it, making its appearance more difficult to see, but it was enough for Lily to recognize the giant as the same one she met eyes with while she hid in the guest room.

It slowly bent down and tilted its head to the side. "Do not be frightened, little one," it said in a deep, yet calm and gentle voice. "I will not harm you." Lily also recognized its voice—the same voice that commanded the fight to be moved somewhere else so the humans wouldn't be harmed. But seeing this robotic being brought the memories of what had happened merely minutes ago, and she sobbed heavily and hung her head. The giant robot being slowly lowered its hand down to her and stroked a finger along her back. "There, there, young one…Where is your mother?" it asked. Lily choked on a sob and pointed a trembling finger up to the sky. The being made a sound as if he understood. "What of your father?"

Lily sobbed harder as she pointed her finger to the side, where her father's heartless, bleeding body laid under a pile of rubble, being squashed underneath. Lily suddenly realized she was all on her own. Both of her parents were gone…slaughtered right before her eyes..and she was covered in her papa's blood. She dropped her arm and screamed as she gripped her head and rocked back and forth. She could not see it, but the robotic being took pity on the little child.

After a moment, the robot lowered its hand to the ground and extended its fingers. "Come along, little one," it told her. Lily slowly raised her head to see its hand. She guessed it wanted her to crawl into it. Using what courage and strength she had in her body, she limply crawled and rolled onto the giant's hand and laid there on her back. She felt the metallic being rise up to its feet, turn around, and it headed off towards the mountains. Lily felt herself being swayed from side to side. Her teary eyes soon began to close; she didn't know if she was being rocked in a cradle or still in the robot's hand. She didn't know if she would fall asleep or vomit from the heavy sways. "Rest easy, child," the robot said kindly. "I will take you somewhere safe."

Lily wasn't sure where did the giant being was taking her exactly; all she knew was that her neighborhood was getting smaller and smaller, and that the mountains were getting larger and larger. Having no strength left, she succumbed to the heaviness of sleep and blacked out once more.


	2. New Friends

**New Friends—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter Two

Where was Optimus Prime?

He hadn't returned to the Autobot base yet ever since the battle between Team Prime and the Decepticons. The others were already there. He was the only one missing. What was keeping him?

"He is obviously still kicking," said Ratchet as he stared at a blinking dot on the computer screen. "His signal is still active, but why hasn't he returned yet?" Ratchet was the medic of Team Prime, but he occasionally joined in on the action—however most of the "joining in" is assisting an Autobot if he was injured in battle. He and Prime were old friends, having known each other a long while during their time on Cybertron. He'd be devastated if his leader was severely hurt, and he'd needlessly put the blame on himself. If ever the situation were to occur, he'd work his bumper off to get his chief back on his feet.

'Maybe he's caught up in another 'Con fight,' the yellow Camaro Autobot, Bumblebee, chirped as he approached the medic 'bot. Bumblebee was the scout of the team, but he was easily one of the smartest, skilled members aboard. He may be one of the smallest of the Autobots, but no one ever judges him by his size. Bee's voice processor was damaged during the war on Cybertron; it was severely damaged, nearly destroyed, by the Decepticon leader, Megatron. Now all he ever says around the base is 'bleeps' and 'boops', but his teammates seem to understand him well enough. Bee was also constantly concerned for his leader's safety. If anything were to ever harm Prime, he'd be right there to help.

"Nah, if there were Decepticons around, their signals would also appear on the monitor," said Ratchet.

"Maybe he, I don't know, went out for a walk. It's a beautiful night," said the large, green Autobot, Bulkhead. Bulk was known best for his body-size, and his ways with demolition. He may not be the best when it comes to stealth, but Bulkhead is useful when any damage is needed, or if something needs to be broken. Wrecking things was his specialty, since he came from an old team back on Cybertron during the great war called the Wreckers, but he resigned from that position to join Team Prime when the chance came. Though he's his own weapon of mass destruction with his wrecking-ball hand, he does have a sensitive side, such as commenting on how beautiful the current night was, despite the battle that had taken place only an hour ago.

"I've never seen Optimus go out on a walk, whether the night is beautiful or not," Ratchet said flatly, then he mumbled to himself as he continued to monitor Prime's signal, "What are you doing out there?" Then he heard his COM-link beep and he activated it. "Ratchet here."

"Ratchet?"

"Optimus?!" the physician-bot exclaimed; and at the mentioning of his name, Bumblebee and Bulkhead sped to his side to listen. "It's about time we heard from you, sir. What have you been doing?"

"I shall explain when I get there," said the Autobot leader. "I'll need you to open a ground bridge."

"On it," Ratchet said with a nod, and he hurried over to the controls. With a flip of a switch and a pull of the handle, a large multi-colored, swirling portal appeared in a tunnel in the base. Within a moment, they saw a flash of light, and there approaching them was the great Optimus Prime himself.

They all surrounded him once he entered the center of the base and the bridge powered down. "Now care to explain what took you?" Ratchet asked, somewhat impatiently. Optimus then pointed his optics down, and the Autobots did the same; they noticed one of his hands was laid out flat, and the other was cupped over it. "What is it? What do you have there?" Prime lifted his cupped servo, and the other Autobots' optics widened in surprise.

Laying curled up in his hand was a tiny child, fast sleep; she appeared scraped and battered, the ends of her clothes were tattered and burnt, her skin was filthy and bruised and bloodied, and she was stained in dark red. She appeared white as a ghost, and she laid there limply, not moving a muscle.

"Prime!" Ratchet exclaimed. "You brought an organic to our base?! Now I mean no offense, but…are you crazy?! She could get her…_earth germs_…on our equipment!"

Optimus sighed lightly at his old friend's rant and explained, "I found this child amongst the ruins of her home. Her late father's body was not far. He must have gotten involved in the fight, and a Decepticon no doubt terminated him. This child has no mother, and now no father."

"Y-Yes, but…" Ratchet stammered.

"Wow…poor kid," Bulkhead said pitifully as he gazed at the tiny girl. "No home and no parents…We all know how having no home feels…but no one to take care of her…Poor kid."

Bumblebee hummed sadly with a nod and bent down so his optics were as high as Optimus's hand. He carefully brushed a finger over her bruised body and rested his servo-tip in her tiny hand. He looked up to Optimus with sadness in his optics and bleeped, 'What will we do with her, sir?'

Optimus gazed at the child and stated firmly, yet gently, "She will remain here until we find a suitable human home for her, and until she is recuperated enough."

While Bulkhead grinned and Bumblebee whirred happily, Ratchet scoffed and stepped up. "Optimus…do you really think allowing a fleshling to roam around the base when she does recuperate is such a good idea?"

"You suggest I leave her out in the open?" the Autobot leader raised a mechanical brow. The physician-bot stammered, struggling to think of a response; thinking of none, he just sighed and lowered his gaze. "Ratchet, I think it is best you try and tend to her wounds as quickly as possible while she is resting."

Ratchet's optics widened. "M-Me? But, Optimus, I…I don't even know where to begin on treating a…_human_!"

"Then you had best get started, old friend," Prime said, and he slowly laid the little girl on Ratchet's examination table. Ratchet tried his best to hide his grimaced look as he observed the child's wounds.

"Just think of her as an Autobot…just a lot more fleshier and softer," Bulkhead suggested.

"Not. Helping." The medic grumbled. After a brief examination, he realized he didn't need to do much. She was just stained in ash, dirt and blood, and her cuts were very light, though she had many. He figured using his equipment wouldn't be safe for her, so he said he'd head to the city's ER and pick up some human remedies. He re-opened the ground bridge, transformed into an ambulance, and drove through it. Once he vanished, the portal closed.

Bumblebee bent down to the level of the examination bed and watched the tiny girl sleep curled up into a ball. He couldn't help but bleep a giggle and lightly stroked the child's body. "Bumblebee," Optimus said, "let her rest. Through her condition, it's clear she's been through a lot." Bee whirred understandingly, gently patted the little human and crept away.

About half an hour later, Ratchet returned with a few human remedies, such as anti-bacterial wash and bandages. Remembering what the nurses there instructed him, he soaked a few cotton balls in the anti-bacterial wash, dabbed and swiped over the girl's wounds, and once they were clean and disinfected, he wrapped them in bandages. Many of the cuts were very small and didn't need bandaging, the only major ones were gashes on her arms and legs from the debris that used to be her home. She didn't seem as odd-looking when all the ash and dust and blood stains were scrubbed away.

Once the girl was taken care of, Ratchet decided to turn in for the night, along with Bee and Bulkhead. However, Optimus stayed and kept watch over the girl, not taking his optics off of her for a second.

* * *

Lily awoke feeling the worst headache. Her stomach churned and everything felt as though it were moving. She wondered if she was still being rocked by the giant robot that had found her amongst her wrecked home, but she realized she was laying on something hard, stiff and cold. The metal table was icy to the touch, and shivers crawled up her back. She tried sitting up, but she was low on energy, and she fell back onto the metal table. Her arms felt heavy, but she lifted them anyway.

She noticed the cuts she had on her arms were wrapped in bandages, as well as her legs. Propping herself up on her elbow, she saw that she was clean, no longer covered in ash, dirt and…blood…Lily didn't even want to think about what happened the night before.

Slowly raising her head, she began to look around her. Lily remembered the giant robot telling her he was taking her somewhere safe. But where exactly did he take her? She saw that she was in a large chamber, and it looked like a doctor's office, and she heard the humming of a computer running from another room. And everything seemed big. Slowly and carefully, she got to her knees, and she shook as she slid off the metal bed and hopped to the floor, nearly landing flat on her bottom from the impact.

Struggling to her feet, she made her way out of the chamber; using the wall for support, she entered a much larger room. On one end there was the computer she heard, and the other was a sort of tunnel. Where in the heck was she? Being on her feet too long made her feel dizzy and she felt her stomach rise. Waiting a moment for it to settle down, she took one tiny step at a time until she separated herself from the wall, making her way to the middle of the room. She wearily looked down and saw a sort of symbol on the ground, like a mask. She turned her head in every direction and gawked at everything she saw. It was like she was in some alien laboratory, or some high-tech hide out. Then she noticed a large control panel. It had a few buttons and a switch. Despite her light-headedness, Lily was still curious of what it was used for. She climbed up a metal staircase and stood right under the switch; then she suddenly found herself reaching up for it.

A flash of light and a loud whirring sound made her jump and lose balance. She tumbled a little down the steps and landed on her hands and knees; squinting at where the light came from, she realized that the tunnel she passed earlier had a large, swirling vortex within it, and it made a loud humming noise. Shielding her eyes a little, she got to her feet; but she was knocked back down when something zoomed through the portal.

She screamed as loud as she could when a green Hummer sped through the portal and right towards her. At the last second, it veered out of the way…and it changed into a large green robot. They both shared the same look of shock as they gawked at one another. Then Lily jumped and backed away when a second vehicle, a yellow Camaro, drove through the portal and changed into a robot. Even though she panicked when she saw it, the yellow bot seemed to smile through its optics. Then, two more objects entered through the portal, only they weren't vehicles.

They were already robots.

Lily recognized one of them right away; she locked her eyes on the red and white robot with the siren and headlights, and she knew this one was Ratchet. She also recognized the largest of the bots beside him.

They all circled around her while she sat on the floor, panting heavily and looking frantically around her. However, seeing the largest robot brought a bit of comfort to her, but it didn't stop her from panicking.

The largest of the bots bent down close to her. She suddenly realized that moment, this robot had the same detail and design as the semi-truck her father scolded at the other day. She flinched a little when he spoke. "Hello, little one," he said; she recognized his voice instantly. "My name is Optimus Prime. You need not fear us. We won't harm you."

Lily tried to speak, but instead she tasted bile in her throat and cupped a hand over her mouth and eagerly looked around her. Surprisingly she spotted a bucket, sprawled to it, held it directly under her, and she retched. She heard the robots grimace and groan a little. When she finished she coughed and spit any remaining bile in her mouth into the bucket. She flushed heavily; these machines had just seen her vomit within 30 seconds of their meeting. Full of shame and embarrassment, she hung her head and cried.

"It is alright, young one," said the robot named Optimus Prime. "We understand you have been through a lot this past day, so it is likely you are still recovering." Lily sniffled and wiped her eyes, then she crawled away from the bucket, suddenly feeling less irritated and more stronger. She looked up and met eye to optic with the one called Optimus.

She cleared her throat and asked in a very hoarse voice, "…W-What…are you…?"

"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," Prime explained, "but you may call us—"

"Autobots?" Lily interrupted.

Optimus blinked and nodded. "Yes. You have heard of us?"

Lily lightly shrugged and croaked, "Mr. Leonard told me a few things."

Optimus didn't know who this 'Mr. Leonard' was, but he didn't want to waste time pondering over it; then he introduced the other Autobots. He gestured to the large green Autobot. "This is Bulkhead," he said, and the named bot gave his head a nod and smiled. Lily suddenly recognized him as the vehicle she saw circle the block near the park multiple times. "This is our scout, Bumblebee," Optimus said, and the yellow bot beeped happily and waved, and he smiled at her through his optics. Lily let out a light giggle and waved back. She knew this bot was the Camaro that sat in front of the park, then took off at the sight of the jets. Then she turned to the remaining Autobot, who seemed to avoid making eye/optic-contact with her. "And this is our medical officer—"

"Ratchet," Lily said. The mentioned Autobot blinked at her baffled, asking her how she already knew his name. She simply restated that Mr. Leonard explained a few things to her about them. "I saw you go around the corner while I was at the park yesterday." Then she faced the boss-bot, crawled to his hand and tapped on it. He turned it over so she could climb into it, and he rose it up to his face. She took a deep breath, stared deeply into his gleaming, blue optics and asked with a shaken voice, "What were those…things you were fighting? Last night?" She felt tears swelling up in her eyes, and she hoped the Autobot wouldn't notice them.

Optimus wore a serious look as he explained. "They are called Decepticons." Lily then remembered something her papa said…_Damn 'Cons are at it again_... "They also came from the planet Cybertron. We have been at war with them for numerous stellar-cycles. Megatron is their leader. You have already seen him." Lily remembered seeing the red-eyed metallic being outside of the guest room, and she shivered. "He plans to take over this planet and make it his own. But we Autobots have vowed to not let your planet share the same fate as ours."

"What happened?" Lily whimpered.

She could see sadness filling up in Prime's optics as he said, "It was lost in the war. The only ones who survived were those who fled, or sought out refuge among the stars. Bumblebee, Ratchet and I happened to pass this planet and took refuge here. We were unaware that Megatron and some of his forces had done so as well. And while our numbers dwindled, the ranks of Decepticons dramatically increased, and they've taken on the ability to transform into planes or jets. We still await any other Autobots still out there to come and join us in winning this war—"

"Did you say 'jets'?" Lily interrupted.

"Yes," Optimus nodded. "Why?"

Lily hung her head; images of what happened those 5 years ago flooded her mind. She remembered what the metallic being who slaughtered her mother looked like. "R-Red eyes...j-jet w-wings…" she whispered. "…They were both…killed by…D-Decepticons…both of them…"

"What?" asked Bulkhead.

The tears poured from her eyes and dripped off her chin and splattered onto Optimus's servo. "M-Mama…P-Papa…they…they were…_butchered_…by D-Decepticons…" Then she began sobbing and buried her face into her hands as her body trembled. "I…I watched as Mama was slashed across her face…her chest…her neck…I watched the life slip out of her…! Blood…everywhere…The 'C-Con w-who killed her…carelessly tossed h-her body aside…Now I'll never forget that day! I can't ever forget it! No matter how hard I try, it's always there in my m-mind! A-And now…Papa…I saw his heart…get ripped out…by a D-Decepticon…He…He tried to protect me…But…now he's…!" She couldn't bear to say anymore and continued to sob uncontrollably as she sat in the metallic palm of the Autobot leader.

The other Autobots just watched her cry, taking pity on the poor girl. Optimus himself sighed sadly for her. He gently stroked a servo along her back and wore a very faint smile. "You need not grieve, little one. Though your parents are no longer with you physically, they are with you in your mind and heart, so long as you remember them. They would not want you to suffer like this. They would want you to try and be happy, and move on. I'm sure it pains them to see you in this much agony."

Lily removed her hands and looked up into the Autobot's optics. She saw something she hadn't seen in them before: understanding. She sniffled heavily and wiper her eyes and nose on her pajama shirt sleeve. She quivered a smile, crawled closer to his face and did her best to hug around his neck. "T-Thank you…for making sure I-I was safe…" she said softly.

"You are very welcome, young one," Optimus obliged. "And now that you know our names, might we know yours?"

"Lily," she said wearily. "My name is Lily McElroy."

"Well, Lily McElroy, until you have recuperated enough and we have found you a suitable home and loving family, you will remain here with us."

Lily smiled and thanked him again. Then she suddenly had dozens of questions. "What was that thing you guys came through?"

"It's called a ground-bridge," said Ratchet. "It allows us access in and out of the base. It can be activated by that switch, and it opens in the coordinates it's given."

"Where did you guys come from through the ground-bridge?" Lily asked.

"From another 'Con fight," Bulkhead said proudly, taking a step forward. "They were trying to drain a mine of Energon crystals, but we stopped those Decepticreeps right in their tracks when we blew up the join and caused the mine to cave in!" Both he and Bee acted like they were flexing muscle and posed.

"Energon?"

"It's what supplies us with life," explained Ratchet. "Like blood supplies life for you organics."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Our species does have a name: humans." Bulkhead and Bumblebee chuckled while Ratchet sputtered a bit and lowered his gaze. She turned to Optimus and asked, "He has a problem with humans, doesn't he?"

"Though we have been on this planet for some time," Optimus said, "we are still adjusting to the earth customs of your kind. You are the first human child we've allowed into our base."

"But I'm not the first human?" Lily tilted her head a little to the side. "Then, who-?"

"PRIME!"

She was interrupted when a man's voice rang out throughout the base. Bulkhead groaned as they all turned towards the computer. A door in the inner wall swung open, and a dark-skinned man in a suit and tie stormed in. He marched towards the railing and leaned against it; he appeared agitated. "Have you _seen_ the news?!" he scolded as Optimus approached him. "Reports of massive explosions and tremors are popping up everywhere! You do realize that mine was near civilians, right?! Do you have any idea what would happen if-?!" He ceased ranting when he eyed the little girl sitting in the palm of Optimus's hand. "Oh, great, now you're kidnapping children?!"

"He didn't kidnap me," Lily said as she stood up in the Autobot's hand. "He helped me. And I'm sure he and the other bots were aware that civilians were near the area, and made sure they didn't cause too much destruction that could threaten their lives. Besides, they took out the Decepticons. Isn't that good?!"

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the man asked.

"Lily. Lily McElroy. You?"

The man revealed a badge. "Agent Fowler. Shouldn't you be at school, miss Lily McElroy? And where are your parents?" Lily glared coldly at him and stuck out her lip, then she turned away.

"She is currently under our care, Agent Fowler," said Optimus. "Her parents are both gone; terminated by the hands of the Decepticons. She will stay with us until she is well rested and until we find her a new home. As for school…"

"I was home-schooled," Lily grumbled, keeping her head low.

Fowler sighed heavily and shook his head, then turned on his heels, heading for the door. "Just be careful next time, Prime! Humans could have been hurt today, and we're all lucky they weren't." Then, he slammed the door behind himself.

Lily turned back around and stuck her tongue out then sat herself back down on Prime's hand. "Is he always that grumpy?"

"I can't think of a time he wasn't," Bulkhead let out a laugh.

"Does he always scold you like that?"

'Occasionally,' Bumblebee beeped with a shrug.

A sudden groaning noise was heard, and the bots jumped a little. Then they followed the sound straight to Lily. The groaning came from her stomach. When it growled again, she blushed and hugged herself. "I'm sorry! You didn't need to hear that!"

"What was that?" Optimus asked.

"My tummy. I'm hungry," Lily moaned, still embarrassed that her stomach had growled loud enough for everyone to hear. "B-But you don't have to waste your time getting me food! You've done enough by allowing me to stay here for a while."

Bee stepped forward and smiled through his optics. 'It's no trouble at all,' he chirped. 'If it's food you need, we'll be happy to help you find some. You shouldn't go hungry.'

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Bee," she said.

"Wait, you can understand him?!" Bulkhead exclaimed. "Dang, I'm still trying to figure out what some bleeps and beeps mean!" Bee narrowed his optics at the green Autobot and buzzed, making Lily giggle.

"Bumblebee," Optimus said, "take Lily into the city and help find her some food. She will need to replenish her strength." Bee whirred and transformed into his yellow Camaro appearance.

Lily's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in amazement. "Robots in disguise," she whispered to herself. Optimus lowered her to the floor and she raced over to the Camaro. She hopped in, and Bee drove through an underground tunnel, heading for downtown.

Ratchet stepped forward once more. "Optimus, are you still sure keeping this girl here is still such a good idea? I mean, I really don't think a room full of large Autobots is safe for her. To emphasize my point, Bulkhead almost ran her over."

"Hey!" the green Autobot whined.

"And who knows what kind of trouble she could get into," Ratchet continued.

"As long as she remains here in the base while we are on missions," Optimus stated firmly, "she will be safe."

"And she has no home," Bulkhead pointed out. "No family! You saying we should put her back where she was found?"

"No, no, no!" Ratchet stammered. "I'm saying—well, what I mean is…w-what I'm trying to say is—D'ohh!" He groaned and rubbed the back of his head frustrated. Optimus cracked a faint smile, as if he knew what his old friend was trying to say, but was anxious about saying it.

"Lily will be safe with us until we find her a new family," Prime said. "If it's her safety with us around you're concerned about, then we must watch where we step." Bulkhead sensed a joke in this and laughed. Optimus then lowered his gaze and slightly frowned, remembering something he was told late the previous night.

* * *

Lily swung her legs happily as she and Bumblebee sat on a dock facing a lake while she sunk her teeth into a fresh, sweet apple. "Mmm! This is my favorite kind of apple!"

'What kind is it?' Bee bleeped.

"It's called a Honey-crisp apple," she explained. "Not only are they big in size"—she took another chunk out of the apple—"but also in flavor!" She finished her apple, sat the core beside her, patted her full belly and gazed out at the horizon, watching the sun slowly reach the top of the forest trees. "Sunsets sure are pretty." Bee whirred in agreement. "Papa and I would go to the park every Saturday after he'd finish work, and we'd stay there until the sun had vanished behind the hill…We did that together at home for the last time…" She sighed sadly and hung her head. Bumblebee lightly buzzed sadly and lifted her chin with his servo. Lily smiled and patted his hand.

Then, Bumblebee's COM-link beeped. "Bumblebee!" It was Ratchet's voice. "Come on and head back to base! Got another Energon finding, and we need to get there before the Decepticons do!" Bee beeped in response and transformed back into his Camaro disguise. Lily hopped in and the Autobot scout sped off towards the mountains. Bumblebee drove through the secret entrance to the base; once they got there she jumped out and Bee changed into his robot form.

"So what's happening now?" she asked.

"There's a large source of Energon frozen in the Arctic," said Bulkhead. "We need to get there and transport it here back to base before Megatron and the Decepticons do."

"Oh, I've always wanted to go to the Arctic! I hear it's real pretty this time of year!" Lily exclaimed as she twirled on her toes.

The Autobots exchanged glances then looked down to her again. "Lily, you will remain here," said Optimus. The tiny girl stopped twirling and whined. "This mission could put you in danger if you went along. And you aren't properly dressed for Arctic conditions."

"So…I'm gonna be here all by myself?"

"No way," said Bulkhead. "Ratchet's gonna stick here, too. He always stays behind to monitor any Decepticon activity." Ratchet grunted and glared at him, but Bulk just shrugged it off.

Lily sighed disappointedly to herself, but she knew the boss-bot was right. Ratchet activated the ground-bridge, and the Autobots readied to step through it. "Oh, Mr. Optimus Prime!" she cried, and he turned towards her. "…Be careful," she said shyly.

He gave his head a nod and a battle mask slid over his face. "Autobots," he called, "transform, and roll out!" They ran towards the bright swirling light, transformed into their vehicle modes, and drove through it; then the portal shut, and the base was silent.

It was an awkward silence; a bit too awkward for the 7-year-old to handle. She skipped up the metallic flight of steps and leaned against the rail near the computer and, staring at Ratchet. He constantly shifted his optics all over the monitor, over to Lily, back to the screen, then return to Lily, until the uneasiness was unbearable. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm watching you watch the computer screen," Lily said, beaming an innocent smile.

"Well, you're too close. Why don't you, I don't know…do what girls do somewhere else," Ratchet said without looking at her while he typed on the keyboard, swatting his hand, signaling her to beat it.

Lily's smile fell and she saddened her eyes. "You don't like me, do you?"

Ratchet stopped pressing buttons on the keyboard, closed his optics and sighed heavily. "It's not that I don't like you. I just need to concentrate on this. It's my job to keep an eye out for any Decepticon activity and to provide coordinates of the Energon for Optimus." Lily's expression didn't change at all. The medic sighed heavily again and hung his head. Then he lifted it and met eye-to-optic with the girl. "How about a tour of the base?"

He led Lily around, showing her their weapons vault, the medic office, the Energon storage unit, and a hall of secret chambers. "What's in that one?" Lily asked as she pointed to a vault with a large padlock on it, and the number 87 was painted above it.

"Chamber 87? Classified," Ratchet simply said. "Top secret. Nothing you need to know." Lily sighed and stared at the floor. Ratchet scoffed to himself and rubbed his servos over his optics. "Okay, tour is over…Why don't we get out of the base…and go to the park?" Lily then lifted her gaze and smiled.

So did Ratchet.

* * *

Optimus led the way towards the location of the Energon with Bumblebee and Bulkhead on both sides behind him, armed and ready for any Decepticon ambush. Prime held a scanner out in front of him, pointing it in every direction to scan the presence of Energon nearby. Wherever the arrow pointed, the Autobots headed in that direction.

Suddenly the beeping on the Energon scanner sped up, up until the point it was one long beep and a large glowing red dot. Prime looked down and saw a faint glow of blue below the ice. "It's here," he said. "Bulkhead."

"On it," said the Autobot. His servo was then replaced with a large spiked wrecking ball as he approached the spot and began searching for the weakest point in the ice. When he found it, he raised his weapon high in the air, then brought it down as powerful as he could. The ice cracked, and he continued in striking that same spot.

Optimus meanwhile stood by and searched around him, gazing at the ice ridge that surrounded them. 'What is it, sir?' Bumblebee whirred. 'Do you see something?'

"No," replied Prime. "But what troubles me is that the Decepticons haven't attacked yet. I sense they are near…but why do they not strike? Perhaps they want us to break the ice for them to save them the trouble, then plan out their attack."

"You are more clever than I anticipated, Prime."

Then, Bulkhead lunged forward violently as something struck him from behind. He landed a few meters away with a section of his back singed and smoking; he had been shot. The two standing Autobots turned around and immediately readied their weapons as they faced up against the red-optic, jagged-toothed Cybertronian; the main nemesis of the Autobots, and the major threat to Earth and its inhabitants.

Megatron.

* * *

The silence was once again awkward during the drive to the park. Lily sat in the front passenger seat, playing with her seat-belt strap, swinging her legs while her eyes stared at her feet. She had Ratchet stop by the remains of her home so she could have a quick change of clothes. Now she wore a thin, light-green sweater, a pink skirt, grey leggings, and boots; her pajamas were freshly washed and folded up neatly in the back.

She occasionally eyed the hologram of a human sitting in the front seat beside her; Ratchet explained to her he and the other Autobots use these illusions to fool Decepticons into thinking they were simple earth vehicles. But, he had said with a light laugh, after years of being on earth using the same disguises, the Decepticons were sure to recognize them from any distance. And the Autobot symbol imprinted on their surface made it obvious what they were.

Lily grew bored of the silence and sat up in her seat. "What was Cybertron like? Before the war," she asked.

"Well," Ratchet began, "it was a peaceful planet. There were no Autobots nor Decepticons, there were just autonomous robotic organisms, no specific names. There were no wars, no conflict. We could live in harmony amongst one another. It was the great Golden Age. I knew Optimus at the time…but back then he went by a different name: Orion Pax. And of course, Megatron was there as well. Little did anyone know that Megatron had a thirst for power and was willing to do anything to get it. He wanted to become the next Prime of Cybertron…but someone else was granted that privilege instead."

"Optimus," Lily said softly.

"Yes. Of course, Megatron was angry, and he wasted no time unleashing his army across the face of Cybertron. Then began the great war. Many lives were lost. Many loved ones…good friends…The only survivors were those who took refuge among the stars, just like Optimus had put it. However, Megatron and many of his forces followed Optimus to Earth, and that's where they've stayed. So have we."

"What makes Earth so important to the Decepticons?" Lily asked.

"Your planet is so rich with resources," Ratchet explained. "You have no idea; there are many things on Earth that contain even a light spark of Energon. During the war, our supplies of Energon were scattered across the galaxy, and some landed here on Earth. The Decepticons plan to suck the Earth dry of its source of Energon and use it to take over the planet, with Megatron as its ruler. And that is something we simply cannot allow."

Lily stared down at the floor, letting her legs hang over the seat. "Did he lose someone?"

"Come again?"

"Did he lose someone in the war?"

"Megatron?"

"Optimus."

Ratchet seemed hesitant. "It's not my place to explain Prime's past on Cybertron. I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased."

"So he did lose someone," Lily said. "Who?"

"Like I said, not my place to say. If you want to know, you can ask him yourself, but I highly doubt he'll tell you."

Lily's eyes widened a little, then she slumped back in her seat. "Wow…Must have been someone he was close to..."

* * *

The Autobots fired their weapons at the Decepticons while the enemy charged forward. While Bumblebee and the wounded Bulkhead guarded the Energon as they fought a dozen 'Cons back to back, Megatron obviously targeted and chose to tango with Prime.

"I really must thank you this one time, Prime," the evil 'Con sneered. "You've just done all the hard work for us, leading us to the Energon site and opening it up for us. Now all we have to do is take it, and destroy you."

"I won't let you escape with that Energon, Megatron," Optimus said through his battle mask; his laser cannon then swapped with a large sword with a heated tip and he swung. Megatron drew out his own and their weapons clashed against one another, sparks flying around from their heated tips; they skidded around on the ice plate while they sparred.

"Oh," said Megatron as he and Prime locked swords, "by the way…how's that little organic doing?" He sneered with a chuckle when he saw Optimus's optics widen a little. "I remember her. I also saw you carry her in your hand as you headed back to your secret hideout. Oh, I must admit, how I enjoyed seeing the scarred, horrified look on her face when my man's grapple hook plunged into his chest, after I reactivated him, oh I will never forget it. My only regret is: I didn't have the privilege of doing it myself!"

Optimus narrowed his flaring blue optics, and with an angry grunt he forced Megatron off of him, and charged once more towards him.

* * *

Lily stood with her feet halfway buried under the sand as she eyed the swing set. She felt a little nervous about going on them; she never got to know what happened when she sat on "Daryl's swing", and she didn't know if she wanted to. However, Ratchet was parked across the street on the other side of the park, but he was in sight; and she figured if she needed anything, he'd come to her aid.

She had made her decision. Lily put one foot in front of the other, picking up sand with each step, and she pushed herself onto the first swing. She started kicking her legs and began to swing, but something grabbed her ankles and squeezed.

More like someone.

"You really are dumb, McEl-weirdo," snorted a voice, and Lily knew instantly it was Daryl Patterson. "I thought I told you, this is _MY_ swing!" He then yanked on her ankles violently; Lily's grip on the handles suddenly loosened and she slipped from the swing onto the dirt. Just before she could get to her knees, Daryl pressed his sneaker on her back, keeping her on the ground. "This is payback for your little gag yesterday, McElroy!" He then stomped on Lily's back, making the girl yelp in pain. The ambulance's headlights flickered a little.

"I-It's not _YOUR_ swing, Daryl," Lily moaned. "It…doesn't have your name on it."

"Shut up!" Then Daryl stomped on her again, then hopped onto the seat and began to swing. Each time he came towards Lily, he rammed the tip of his sneaker into her side, knocking her down. Each time she got up to try and crawl away, he kicked her harder and harder, and he laughed at the painful squeaks and cries she let out. "Aww, what's the matter, baby brat? You gonna cry? You want your mommy and daddy? You want someone to come and help you? Well, I ain't lettin' no one help you! How would you like to know what dirt tastes like?!" He swung himself higher and higher, up until he was at the highest point.

However, he never went down. He felt something grab one of his ankles; he tried to kick free, but the grip was too strong. "You might want to rethink not letting someone help her, son," said a voice. Daryl shivered and turned his head to see the physician-bot right behind him. The bully cried out in a panic and slipped off the swing. But with the Autobot holding him by his ankle, he was then suspended upside down. All the other kids gathered around to see what was happening and began laughing and pointing.

"Put me down! Put me downnnn!" Daryl whined as he thrashed around.

"You will not hurt this poor girl anymore, young man," Ratchet said, putting the boy only inches from his face. "You do not know what pain and anguish she has been through lately. And the last thing she needs is a beat down from a bully. If I see you lay a finger on a single hair on her head, I will hang you on the highest branch of the tallest tree by your trousers. Is that understood?" The boy frantically nodded; Ratchet sat him down, and Daryl took off sobbing to his mother while the other kids continued laughing and pointing. Then Ratchet bent down beside Lily and helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

Lily sniffled and wiped her eyes with her knuckles. "I am now," she said with a smile. "Thank you."

Ratchet wore a sliver of a smile, then suddenly his COM-link turned on. "Ratchet." It was Optimus Prime's voice. "Requesting a ground-bridge."

"Understood, sir," Ratchet replied. Once the line went dead he transformed into his ambulance mode; Lily climbed in and they sped back to the base. Once they arrived, Ratchet raced to the control panel and slipped the switch, activating the ground-bridge. In a mere moment, the three Autobots came walking through. Then they saw Bulkhead. "Oh, no," he muttered as Lily let out a gasp. "Quickly, bring him over here," Ratchet instructed, and he helped Bumblebee lay him face down on the examination table.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Lily asked worriedly. Ratchet kept muttered to himself while he examined Bulkhead's wound and didn't answer, so Lily ran to Optimus. "What happened?"

"He was shot from behind," the Prime explained. "We were ambushed by a league of Decepticons. They waited for us to open the ice to get the Energon supply, then they attacked."

"A-And now...the Energon deposit is free for anyone...and we didn't get any," Bulkhead winced. "...The Cons probably took it all back to their ship by now..."

"Easy, soldier," Optimus said, resting a gentle hand on the former Wrecker's shoulder plate.

Bee gripped the sides of his head and buzzed in a panic. 'Oh, it's my fault Bulk's hurt! I should have been guarding him!'

A low groan came from the green Autobot as he lifted his head. "Don't…blame yourself, Bee," he winced. "It wasn't your fault…By the All-Spark, I understood what you were bleeping—OWW! Scrap, Ratchet, what are you trying to do to me?!"

"I'm trying to see how deep the damage is before I patch you up," said the physician-bot, "which would go a lot quicker if you'd keep still! I also need to check if any damage has come to your spark. You're leaking a bit of Energon."

"Spark? Energon?" Lily crinkled her brows. "What's that?"

"A spark is what circulates the Energon in our bodies for us to live and function," Ratchet said. "You know, like what you humans have in your chest that pumps blood inside of your bodies. And Energon is the lifeblood of all Cybertronians alike."

Lily then understood. "Ohh," she said, "so the spark is kind of like a heart, but for Autobots."

"And 'Cons," grumbled Bulkhead.

"Hold still!" Ratchet snapped. "You keep squirming!"

Lily sighed, then she noticed the classified chamber out of the corner of her eye. She tapped on his armor to get his attention, and he bent down to her height. "What's in there?" she asked him innocently and pointed to Chamber 87.

She noticed Optimus wore a straight, stiff face. Almost expressionless on the outside, but as though he were hiding something inside. Then he focused his optics back on her and said, "Secrecy. It's never to be opened without my command."

Lily whined a little. "Ratchet said the same thing," she huffed as she folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "Not even a tiny peek?" She fell silent as Optimus's optics stared straight through her, making her shudder. "Never mind."

"How much longer, Ratchet?!" Bulkhead whined.

"If you'd stop moving, we could have been finished 5 minutes ago!" the medic spat back. Bumblebee buzzed in annoyance and pressed his servo against his forehead; he had gotten tired of the arguing, and he still blamed himself for Bulk's injury, and he headed off to his own chamber.

"Wait!" exclaimed a tiny voice. Bee glanced at his feet and saw Lily racing to his side. "Don't blame yourself, Bee," she said gently. "It was an accident. It could happen to anyone of you."

'It wouldn't have happened to Bulk if I had his back at the time,' the scout whirred sadly and hung his head.

Lily wore a sad smile and patted his armor. Then she had an idea on how to cheer him up. "Do you like jokes?" Bee lifted his head a little to meet her eyes and nodded. "Maybe if I told you some, you won't feel so bad. Okay, let me think of a good one…Oh! Why did the cowboy have a wiener dog for a pet?"

Bumblebee bleeped in confusion and shrugged.

Lily giggled and answered, "Because somebody told him to get "a long" little doggie!" Then she fell over guffawing, but Bumblebee just stared blankly at her, not quite understanding the joke. But he heard Bulkhead laughing, so he must have.

'Bulk, what's she talking about?' he chirped.

" 'Get along, little doggie' is a phrase cowboys say," Bulkhead said with a snicker, "and a wiener is a long, little doggie!" Ratchet then looked at him funny. "I've seen Western flicks! Geez!"

It was then Bee understood the joke, and he began to make high-pitched, trilling sounds and held his side. He then bleeped to Lily to tell another one.

"Okay," she began. "Oh, here's one! What do you get when you put a monkey in a mine field?...You get a BABOOM!" Then the girl fell onto her back giggling, but Bee didn't understand this one either and he looked to one of the other Autobots for help.

"The word 'baboom' is meant to sound like 'baboon', a kind of monkey," explained Bulkhead, "and 'baboom' is also a sound that is made when a mine goes off." Ratchet looked at him funny again. "I've seen documentaries! Give me a break, dude!"

Bumblebee then got the joke and made more of the trilling, high-pitched uneven sounds as his shoulders bobbed up and down and he hugged his side. Then he urged Lily to tell another.

"Okay, okay, let's see," she said as she tapped her chin. "I'll do a classic one. You know how to count, right? Like, 1 to 10?" Bee nodded. "Okay, good! So, why was the number 6 afraid of the number 7?" Bee shrugged. "Because 7 'ate' 9!" The scout knew this joke, and he made giggling sounds along with the girl.

"Hey, could you two keep it down over there?! I'm trying to concentrate over here!" Ratchet exclaimed. Lily and Bee exchanged glances, then they continued laughing. Ratchet sighed frustrated and set down his tools. "Okay, Bulk. You're good enough."

Bulkhead sat up and hopped off the examination bed. "Are you alright, my friend?" Optimus asked him.

"I'll make it," the green Autobot shrugged. Then he giggled a little and added, "But I feel a whole lot better after a good laugh." He turned towards Lily and Bumblebee, who were still giggling over the jokes.

Optimus eyed them as well, watching his scout and the tiny human girl smiling while they laughed. He felt a very faint smile appear on his face, and his spark fluttered in his chest.

* * *

Prime and Ratchet were the only ones up late that night. The Autobot leader and the medic remained in the center of the base while everyone else had gone to get some sleep. Ratchet easily saw the faint look of distraught on his leader's face. "Something troubling you, Optimus?" he asked.

Prime sighed and closed his optics. "It's…It's what Alpha Trion told me when he came to me late last night. I do not know whether to believe the prophecy he explained to me was real or…one of those thing humans call 'dreams'."

Ratchet scoffed. "Well, it does seem pretty barbaric and unbelievable, in my opinion." Then he saw the hidden sadness in Optimus's optics and quickly added, "Oh, but I mean no offense! I'm sure it would be wonderful to have her back. But…do you honestly believe that—?"

He was silenced when Optimus held his hand out. "Yes, Lily?" Prime said, then turned his head towards the entrance of the left corridor to find the tiny human child in her pajamas standing there. "You should be resting, young one."

Lily sighed and hung her head. "I…I can't."

"What do you mean? Is something troubling you?" Optimus asked. Lily raised her gaze and he met with her wet eyes. "Is it what you humans call 'nightmares'?" Lily lowered her gaze a little and barely nodded as she hugged herself loosely.

Ratchet turned to Optimus, and the leader gave him a nod. Ratchet returned the nod and said he's turn himself in for the night, leaving Optimus and the little girl alone. Then, the Autobot commander headed over to the controls, and he activated the ground-bridge. He then bent down and laid his hand out flat in front of her. "Come with me."

Lily wondered what he had planned, but she didn't seem to care and crawled onto his servo. Then, the two headed into the portal. Lily saw a flash of light, and she realized they had gone from the base to the top of one of the plateaus near the mountains. She felt a little fuzzy from the trip, and they were very high.

Optimus Prime sat himself down on the surface of the plateau and lowered his hand to the ground, allowing Lily to slide off. She placed herself beside him, and the two stared out at the open desert under the clear sky. Then she looked up to him and asked, "Why are we here?"

Prime's blue optics shone through the night as he glanced down at her. "I figured you would want to talk about it."

"About what?"

"Your nightmare."

"Oh…" Lily hugged her knees loosely and lowered her head as she stared out to the desert. "…I've had it ever since Mama died…It's when she was killed. I'd…hear screaming, and I go to check it out. I look into my parents' room and I see a large Decepticon holding my mama up in the air by her neck. I'll never forget the red eyes he had…He demanded her about some information about 'them'…I'm assuming now he was talking about you. Mama said she didn't know anything. The Decepticon didn't believe her…He said his orders were to…" she stopped as her throat began to tighten, swallowed hard then continued, "to gain any information about the Autobots from those who've encountered them…and terminate them. Mama must've been one of them…He then said…since she wasn't going to cooperate…he then…terminated her." She quickly turned her head and wiped her eyes, praying Optimus hadn't seen her tears. "I have this dream every night. That's why I'm usually afraid to go to sleep…And now…now that I've seen my papa go through the same thing…I don't know if I'll ever sleep again."

"Because you don't want to be haunted by both of their deaths in your dreams," Prime said.

Lily then sobbed a little and nodded. "Exactly." She shifter herself so that she was sitting on her legs, resting her hands on her knees. "…You know what I often think about now?" she said almost in a whisper.

"What?" Optimus asked.

Lily curled her fingers inward and sniffled. "I think…I try to think of what my parents would both be like…if none of this ever happened. I-I imagine myself coming home from school, and Papa would be there waiting for me. He-He'd scoop me up in his arms and I'd tell him how my day was at school while we'd go into our house. Mama would be in the kitchen preparing dinner, and she'd have a snack ready for me. A-And at night, M-Mama would read me m-my favorite story…th-then she'd kiss me and wish me good night…a-and when I'd have a bad dream, either M-Mama or Papa would rush in, calm me down, hug me and tell me it was okay, that it was a nightmare…a-and that it wouldn't hurt me…Then they'd hum my favorite lullaby and lay with me in bed until I was fast asleep…Mama and Papa would say, 'Lily, we love you so much, you're our baby girl, a-and always will be'…" She stiffened her back as she tried to force back her sobs. Fresh tears seeped through her pinched eyelids and dripped off her chin onto her legs.

"B-But now," she whimpered, "because of those stupid D-Decepticons…They won't do any of those things…I'll never feel their hugs ever again…I won't ever feel their comfort again…" She suddenly sat up straight and rubbed her eyes as she wailed, "I'll never hear them say how much they love me again!" Then she hunched over covering her face with her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. "It's not fair! Why out of everyone here did I have to lose my mama and papa?! It isn't fair! I…I want my mama! I want my papa! I want to hear them say my name, I want them to cuddle me…But I'll never hear their voices again! They'll never cuddle me again!...Because they're gone! They're gone and are never coming back!" After a long deep breath she wailed once more and hid her face from the Autobot accompanying her. She knew it wasn't best to grieve, but the pain was unbearable and she couldn't contain it any longer. Just because it was wise to move on and leave the past behind, it didn't mean to forget it.

Optimus pitifully watched the girl cry, listening to her sobs and hiccups, easily hearing her anguish. He slowly reached down, scooped her up in his hand, and held her close to his chest. She pressed herself against his armor as she continued to cry, and Optimus stroked her back gently with his servo, calmly shushing her. "There, there, young one. It is alright," he spoke softly. "I understand. You feel this heavy pain and loneliness, and you long for someone to be by your side to guide you through it, but no one comes, because they don't truly understand. But know this, Lily: no matter what may happen, someone is always there, willing to help, if you are willing to allow them."

Lily sniffled and softly sobbed as she rubbed her eyes, snuggling the Autobot's chest. She heard Optimus take in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he continued, "I am sure your family loved you very much…Up until the last breath they took. I am certain they loved you with all their hearts…more than you could ever realize…"

Lily heard a light shudder in his voice as he spoke and looked up. She noticed he had turned his head away, and she saw something glistening on his face, and it slowly made its way down; and while she hugged him she felt his body slightly tremble. Lily couldn't help but quiver a smile. _Guess you do have a tender side, Mr. Optimus Prime,_ she thought. She wiped her tears away and smiled, kissing his armor. She couldn't help but wonder as well what made him feel this way, but it also made her feel bad to see him like this. Then, she had an idea. Slowly and silently, she climbed up his chest to the top of his head, then slowly bent over in front of her face, hanging herself upside down. When they met eyes she beamed a smile. "You look funny from this view," she giggled. Lily felt a spark in her heart when she heard a light chuckle come from within the Autobot.

Then, she suddenly slipped and yelped, and she began to fall. Luckily, Optimus's hand was still under her, and he raised it high enough to catch her. She wearily laughed as she laid in his hand. "I meant to do that," she said with a yawn.

Prime sighed with a faint grin. "We best get back to base. You need to rest, little one." He then pressed against his helmet and activated his COM-link. "Ratchet, we request a bridge." Within a moment a bridge opened right behind them.

"Oh, and Mr. Optimus Prime?" Lily moaned as she slowly succumbed to the need for sleep. "I promise not to tell."

The Autobot leader looked down at her, raising a brow. "Tell what?"

Lily only smiled as she curled herself up in his hand, and he smiled at her while she slept soundly. Then he stepped in the portal, and it closed behind him, leaving the desert night silent and peaceful.


	3. The Decision, 1

**The Decision, Part One—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter Three

Optimus Prime was "visited" again that night. Only hours after he had gone offline, he found himself in a dark room, much similar to the space he had seen a few nights ago. He knew to wait a few moments until a bright light flickered before him. The light grew gradually up until it consumed half the space and stopped just inches from Prime's armor. Then, a shadow of a figure slowly emerged from the white light, and blue optics pierced their way through; the outline of a face, head, body and limbs began to appear, as well. Optimus knew this figure all too well from his past. Alpha Trion.

"You know why I have summoned you, Optimus," Alpha Trion said, his voice booming throughout the black empty space, his mouth also not moving an inch. All Optimus could do was give a nod to his former teacher. "Then you know that the prophecy I told you before has already fallen into play." Optimus hesitated before giving another nod.

The mystic Alpha Trion studied Prime carefully. "I sense something troubling you, Optimus. I sense reluctance. Hesitation. Confusion. At the same time you want and do not want the prophecy to be fulfilled. I can understand your reasons," he said sympathetically.

Optimus lightly hung his head; he suddenly realized his servos were clenched up into tight fist, and the edges of his optics were wet.

"However," Alpha Trion's voice said, "there is only one final chance for the prophecy to be fulfilled, and to be prevented. One decision can permanently seal it, one decision can prevent it. However, that decision…is yours." Prime raised his head, his optics for the first time showing surprise. Then, Alpha Trion's figure faded and pulled away as the bright light dimmed, and Optimus was consumed in darkness...

* * *

The Decepticon warship glided over the far deserts of Nevada, and aboard it was Megatron and his current army. A majority of the army was training up on the flight deck. Another portion of it was monitoring Autobot activity and tracking Energon readings; among them, Lord Megatron and Soundwave.

Soundwave had no face, just a black visor, like a television screen. He knew how to hack into anything. That was why he was mainly in charge for tracking Energon levels and watching out for Autobot movement. He didn't actually talk, but he did record and replay others' voices to emphasize his point. But the silent ones are usually the most deadly; not as deadly as Megatron, but close. Hidden within his armor was, what humans would call, a sidekick: Laserbeak. The Decepticon bird was Soundwave's eye in the sky, as well as Megatron's; when Soundwave was needed on the warship, he would send Laserbeak out to scan, record and report anything worth knowing. Laserbeak was loyal to Soundwave, and Soundwave was loyal to Megatron.

The black-visor Decepticon suddenly looked up at the computer screen when it began flashing and beeping. Megatron joined alongside him. "What is it, Soundwave?" he asked. Soundwave then pointed to the screen; it revealed a satellite image of a dry valley in Nevada. The screen zoomed in over a large clearing surrounded by high ridges and boulders, and then an x-ray scanner appeared over the center point. Within the circle was a large clump of preserved…

"Energon," Megatron sneered. "Another batch, and so close to home. Although we have more than enough to supply each Decepticon here on the warship from the Arctic, there's no reason for us to let the accursed Autobots have it. The less they have, more chances they will eventually run out and perish. Not if I terminate them, first." The evil Decepticon lord then laughed villainously, and he gazed at the hidden Energon on the screen with his malignant red optics. "Of course, we will need someone to scout the area and have it ready for us to collect it."

Then he summoned Starscream.

This Decepticon, Megatron would find falsely loyal, meaning he'd show respect then strike back unexpectedly. Of course, Starscream's attempts to overthrow Megatron have failed each time, and very few to none had he almost succeeded. Starscream was a lean 'Con, a bit too lean, who could transform into a fighter's jet. He served his place in the army as second in command, though he's losing his earnings of that rank for his constant schemes to seek power and control of the Decepticon army. But Megatron kept him there, mainly because he found it rather humorous to watch Starscream fail.

The 'Con bowed before the Decepticon leader. "You have summoned me, Lord Megatron?"

"Yes," Megatron said. "We have discovered another hotspot of Energon, and I need you to mark it for us and prevent any Autobots from taking it."

Starscream looked up a little bewildered. "That is it? No other plan? You just want me to hold a spot for you, and risk my life against those stupid Autobots if they were to attack?!"

Megatron narrowed his optics sinisterly. "Is there a problem?"

Starscream shuddered under the deepness of Megatron's voice and quickly shook his head. "No, no, my lord. Of course not."

"Then why are you still here?! Go!"

Starscream nodded and made his way to the flight deck, muttering to himself. "He orders me around like his personal slave! What, he doesn't want to get his hands dirty?! What if it's all a trap? Then it would be me to get caught in it! _OOOOH!_...Then again, I am the only one protecting the Energon. If I defeat the accursed Autobots myself, and pray Primus I ever do, I can ransom them to Megatron for full control over the army! YES!...I am talking to myself aloud again, aren't I?" Then he transformed into his jet mode and soared to the Energon location...

* * *

Prime opened his optics and found himself staring at the ceiling of his quarters. The message Alpha Trion gave him repeated itself in his mind like a broken record. What decision? Optimus had to make several decisions in one day; how would he know which decision would seal or prevent the prophecy? He figured he would know it when the time came.

As Optimus sat himself up, he heard the sound of giggling coming from the center of the base. Exiting his quarters and entering the room, he found Ratchet monitoring the computers, as he is supposed to—but he found Bulkhead and Bumblebee with Lily. He briefly widened his optics for a second then furrowed his mechanical brows at the sight before him: Bulkhead was holding Lily upside down by her ankle, and the scout was prodding the girl in her stomach with his servo, chirping and whirring happily. The little human herself was frantically squirming as she burst into a fit of adorable giggles.

"Bee-hee-hee, cut it out!" she cried out. "Stop it, that tickles!" Soon her words were replaced with a fit of adorable giggling. Bumblebee didn't quite know what this 'tickling' was, but he enjoyed the fact that it made his little human friend happy and he continued. Bulkhead just laughed sinisterly and refused to let the girl go when she begged him to.

"Could you please keep it down?!" Ratchet groaned. "I can't keep track of any Decepticons with all that squealing, Lily!"

"Well, tell Bee to stop! I can't...I can't brea-hee-hee-heathe! Someone he-he-he-he-help!" Lily shrieked as she flared her arms around and went into hysterics, and through teary eyes she spotted the Autobot commander standing in the entrance of the right corridor. "M-Mr. O-ha-ha-ha-ha-Optimus Pri-ha-ha-ha-ime! Te-he-he-he-Tell them to STOP! Plea-hee-hee-hee-ease!"

Optimus wore a faint smile in amusement, but too faint for any of his teammates to notice. He stepped forward and said, "Alright, Bumblebee, Bulkhead. I think she's had enough. Let her go." Bulk and Bee nodded and let Lily go, but when she tried to walk, she was giggling so hard her legs went limp and she fell to her sides, holding her stomach. Bulkhead laughed heartily and Bumblebee let out happy, trilling sounds.

Optimus Prime silently chuckled as he helped the girl to her feet. "Now how in the world did you get into a situation like this, Lily?" he asked.

Lily giggled as she flushed a little. "I first tried it on Bumblebee, but it didn't work. Then Bulkhead saw what I was doing and asked what was going on, and I told him I was trying to tickle Bee. Then I suddenly find myself hanging upside down with Bulk holding my ankles, and he told Bee to do what I did to him to me. So…yeah."

"And now that it's quiet, I can _finally _concentrate!" Ratchet huffed as he impatiently typed on the keyboard and watched the screen.

Lily only rolled her eyes, then she turned to Bulkhead and Bumblebee, pointing at them. "I WILL have my revenge on you both! Just you wait!"

"Morning, Prime," said Bulkhead. "It's not like you to be the last of us to get up. What kept you?"

"I must've overslept," Optimus said, lowering his optics a little. "I had a lot on my mind last night."

"That, and you and I had a nice talk," Lily said as she beamed a smile. "Oh, and guess what? I didn't have a single nightmare last night! That's the first time it's ever happened! I feel like I've had the first goodnight's sleep in my life!" She whooped as she twirled on her toes, then stopped in front of Prime. "I guess talking to you about my nightmares helped." Though it was extremely faint, Lily could see the smile on her friend's face.

"Optimus!" That faint smile fell when Ratchet called out Prime's name. "Got another Energon reading, and it's close. It's within a valley not far from here…and Megatwerp's second in command is there."

"Starscream," Prime said.

"Starscream?" Lily repeated.

"Ohh, I can't stand that guy!" Bulkhead said with a growl.

"Why?"

'Because he's annoying,' Bee bleeped.

"How?"

"He…just is," Bulk shrugged.

"And he's near the Energon source?" said Prime.

"Oh, he's already there. Must be holding it for the Decepticons until we get there," Ratchet muttered.

"We must not let the Decepticons take that Energon this time," Optimus declared. "Ratchet, open up a ground-bridge." The medic nodded and headed over to the controls, pressing in the correct coordinates, flipping the switch, and powering up the bridge.

"Wait! I want to come this time!" Lily said.

"No," Optimus said. "It is still too dangerous if you get caught up in the fight. I do not want to put your life at risk."

"Aw, please?!" Lily begged. "I won't get involved, I promise. I'll stay hidden behind a boulder or something. Please, Mr. Optimus?"

Prime found it adorable the way she called him 'Mr. Optimus', and the way she looked at him…

"Little lady," said Ratchet as he returned to the computer, "if Optimus says 'no', then it's no." Lily glared at him, then turned back to Optimus, begging through her eyes.

Prime stared deeply at her. "Lily…Ratchet is right. The decision is final. You stay here." Lily's bottom lip faintly began to quiver and she lowered her head. He sighed and turned away, but before he stepped into the portal, something occurred to him. He had made a decision; but was it _the_ decision? Only one way to find out. "Autobots…roll out!" Then he, Bumblebee and Bulkhead ran through the portal.

Ratchet continued monitoring the Energon and Starscream's; but he suddenly felt a little sorry for Lily. He couldn't quite explain where this feeling came from. "Look, kid, it's nothing personal. It's clear Optimus cares for you, like…He just wants to keep you safe. You understand, Lily?" he heard no reply. "Kid?" He turned around to see the girl no longer standing there—and he had left the ground-bridge open.

"Ohhh, scrap."

* * *

The Autobots jumped through the portal and landed on the dry, dusty desert ground. According to the scanner in Optimus's hand, the Energon's location was not far. Starscream's signal appeared on the screen as well. They didn't need to walk very far until they saw the self-absorbed Decepticon pacing around a deep hole, filled with Energon.

"He must've dug it up already," Bulkhead whispered, and Bee buzzed in agreement. "But I don't get it. Why doesn't he package it up for them?"

'Unless it's another trap for us,' Bee bleeped.

"Possibly," agreed Optimus, "but we cannot allow Starscream to give that Energon supply to Megatron. Who knows what his purpose is to use it, besides fuelling his army and himself?"

"Besides, we need it for ourselves," said Bulkhead. "We're running too low." He turned his head to Optimus—to find him not there. "Prime?" He then turned his whole body around to see the Autobot leader heading towards a large rock, reaching down and picking up something. What Prime picked up surprised him.

"Lily," Optimus said lowly, narrowing his optics. "I told you to stay back at base."

The little human swung her legs trying to break free, but the Autobot commander held her fast by her shirt. "And I told _you_ I would stay behind a boulder so I could be safe! Put me down!"

Optimus sat her on the boulder and pressed a button on the side of his helmet, turning on his COM-link. "Ratchet, open a ground-bridge immediately. And this time, make sure you close it." Once the line went dead, he kept his optics on the girl.

Something in his eyes made the girl shiver, and she couldn't bear to look in them. Maybe she did make a mistake in following them. Lily sat herself on the boulder and hugged her knees, feeling Optimus's glaring optics pounding on her, making her shudder. Suddenly she found herself in tears, and she hung her head.

"I just…I wanted to see what it was like…to see you fight," she whispered with a sniffle.

Optimus softened his eyes and bent down to her height. "You already have," he said. "And because of what happened that night, your life is now greatly changed. You've seen the danger, you've no doubt felt it. Because of that fight…you lost your father. And I cannot risk another human casualty during a fight between Autobots and Decepticons."

Lily lifted her wet head, revealing her tear-stained cheeks. "That's why I said I'd stay behind something, far from the fight, but close enough so I could see."

"That doesn't matter. No matter how close or far you are from a fight, you are still in danger…But there is another purpose you came, isn't there?" Lily gasped a little then hung her head again. "You came to see if Starscream was the one…the one who killed your mother."

"S-So?" Lily mumbled with a sniffle.

"So, there is a chance it may or not be him," Prime said. "This is no reason to put your life in danger—"

"Yes, it is!" Lily suddenly stood up and cried. "It is worth risking my life! I have to know! I have to know if he did it because it's driving me crazy! All my life I've been _dying_ to know who killed my mama…and now that I know it was a Decepticon, I want to see which one did it! I have to know! I came here on my own will, and I am not leaving! And stop acting like you understand!" Then she turned and jumped off the boulder, running off.

"Lily, no!" Bulkhead exclaimed.

Lily then realized she had ran out into the open, and skidded to a stop, standing there like a statue. She felt her heart stop and her blood run cold when the lean Decepticon spotted her and sneered. "Scrap," she whispered.

"Well," Starscream said slyly as he began to approach the girl. "What have we here? The little human the Autobots took in as their pet? How adorable. I understand you've recently lost someone dear to you in a little…accident. Allow me to have you join him!" He then drew out his claws.

Lily stiffly gasped; she felt a tight cramping in her heart as it began to race. Red optics…jet wings…claws…was it him?

"Starscream!" roared a voice. The Decepticon turned around to see the Autobots running out into the clearing, readying their weapons. Optimus Prime stepped forward and spoke through his battle-mask, "Do not touch her!"

"Ahh, Optimus Prime," Starscream mockingly exclaimed, saying the Autobot's name in a disgusted tone. "So wonderful to see you. I already know why you are here: to take the Energon hidden right here under the Earth's soil. Well, I hate to tell you, but Megatron has already claimed it."

Then, out of the corner of his optics, he saw a flash of green light, and a loud revving sound echoed throughout the valley. A ground-bridge had opened.

"Lily!" Optimus called. "Go through the ground-bridge and head to base, now!"

Lily then decided to listen to reason, and she did as the Autobot commanded. She ran as fast as she could towards the ground-bridge—but a clawed, mechanical hand stopped her in her tracks.

"I don't think so, fleshling," Starscream grinned menacingly. Lily then tried running the other way, but she was halted by 'Scream's second hand. "Going somewhere?" The girl then scampered away towards the Autobots, but the Con leaped in front of her, growling and sneering just to make her scream; and he laughed as Lily sprawled all over the ground when she tripped, scraping her elbows and knees against the dirt.

"Autobots, retrieve Lily!" Optimus commanded and they charged for Starscream.

"Oh, I really wouldn't do that," Starscream chuckled evilly as he held the child up by her clothes, pressing a claw under her neck. "One move and her blood will splatter all over the valley! I've slain one human before. There's no thinking I won't do it again!"

Lily went completely numb. "…Y-You…Y-You did…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, little fleshing, what was that? I can't hear you over your fearful whimpering!" Starscream mocked as he turned the girl in his direction.

Lily clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as her body shuddered. "You…did it…You…You killed her…You killed my mama!" Her body racked with infuriated chills. "_YOU KILLED HER!_" Then with one powerful swing of her leg, she kicked Starscream right into his optic.

"_AAUGH! MY OPTIC!_" the Decepticon wailed and he released Lily from his grasp.

Lily screamed as she fell, but before she could splatter all over the ground, something grabbed onto her. After a stunning moment she looked up to see Bumblebee's friendly optics, and she clung to his armor while she cried.

Before he even knew what hit him, Starscream went flying as he got a taste of Bulkhead's wrecking ball, and began tumbling and rolling around across the dirt, now dented and slightly leaking Energon from his damaged optic.

"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, secure the Energon," said Prime as one servo became a large firearm; then he began to approach the fallen Con. "I will handle Starscream." Bulkhead then transformed into his vehicle mode and opened the trunk. Bumblebee placed Lily in the front seat as he began loading Bulkhead's trunk with Energon cubes. Once they finished, they drove off through the ground-bridge.

Prime grabbed Starscream by his chest armor and pressed him against the valley, pointing his weapon at the Decepticon's head. "I will only warn you this once, Starscream," he said, narrowing his optics. "If you harm so much as a hair on her head…you will answer to me. Is that understood?!" Then Starscream hung his head and began snickering maniacally. "What could possibly be funny?"

"Ohh…Optimus Prime," Starscream sighed. "So blind. We Decepticons are all aware of the foretold 'prophecy'. The question is: is she?"

Prime glared. "She will never know."

"Oh, but she will eventually, once the prophecy is fulfilled. Which it will be," 'Scream sneered. "But it won't matter anyway. Megatron will just slay her again, just like before." Anger flashed across Optimus's blue optics as he charged up his firearm.

"Prime," came Ratchet's voice over the COM-link. "We've got the Energon, and the bridge is ready to close! Where are you?!"

Prime stared deeply into Starscream's good optic, then he disarmed himself and dropped the Con to the ground. Then Optimus stepped through the ground-bridge, and it closed not long after behind him. Starscream breathed heavily, wincing in pain from his damaged optic. He limped his way to the gaping hole in the ground he created to reveal the Energon—only to find it completely empty. He sighed irritated, and he tried to think of an excuse to tell Megatron...

* * *

A flash of white light appeared through the ground-bridge at base as Optimus stepped through it. Once he entered the center of the base he found Bumblebee and Bulkhead stacking up the Energon cubes, and Ratchet was patching up Lily's elbows and knees.

The shivering girl couldn't even bear to look up at Prime, afraid he would beginning lecturing her. Her fears were right. "Lily," Optimus began, "what you did was reckless, and foolish, and unwise. Following us was a terrible decision. You could have gotten seriously hurt, or worse. You are to never come with us, unless you are given permission. Do you understand?" Lily didn't answer, she just turned her head away from him and sniffled.

Ratchet finished bandaging Lily's scrapes and sighed. "It's not…entirely her fault, Optimus. I left the ground-bridge open, and because of my mistake she followed you. But I assure you, sir, it will never happen again."

'At least we have the Energon,' Bumblebee bleeped, hoping to lighten the mood.

"And what of Starscream?" asked Bulkhead as he stacked the last Energon cube.

Optimus heard Starscream's words repeating in his memory, but she shook them off. "He is Megatron's problem now."

"He's alive?" came Lily's voice and they turned towards her; she had a baffled look on her face. "You let him live?" she asked Optimus, hopping off of Ratchet's examination table. "Why?"

"Because his life was not mine to take," replied Optimus.

"Of course, it is!" Lily snapped. "He killed my mama! I know he did it! He deserves to die for what he did, and you let him go?! You had him! Why didn't you finish him?!"

"Lily, I understand you are upset about this," Prime said gently, bending down to her, "but you cannot demand me to take vengeance for you." Lily glared at him through teary eyes and then turned away. Optimus sighed heavily and shook his head. "Lily, please, do not be angry with me. I know, you wish to avenge your mother's death. I understand what you're feeling-"

"No, you don't!" Lily shouted. "You don't understand!" Then she angrily took off running down the right corridor, and the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the base.

Optimus sighed again and stood up. Ratchet approached him and laid a servo on his shoulder. "Give her a while to cool down, Optimus. In time, she will understand."

_In time_, Optimus thought. He just hoped that time wouldn't be too late...

* * *

Starscream was thrown to the floor and landed with a boom as he cried out in pain. "L-Lord Megatron, please!" He was silenced when the Decepticon lord kicked him aside again.

"I give you one, simple task, Starscream, and you can't even accomplish that?!" Megatron roared as he approached Starscream.

"P-Please, my lord, allow me to explain," Starscream trembled as he began to crawl away backwards. "It was those Autobots, and they brought the girl with them! Apparently she recognized me from the past, or something! Just look at what she did to my optic!"

"She should have damaged both!" Megatron roared, and he pressed his foot on Starscream's chest. "And you let the girl live while you had her in your grasp?! You know that she is the key to the prophecy!"

"What is so important of this prophecy anyway?!" asked Starscream, cowering a little. "And what of the Energon?! How is that least important to you now?!"

"We already have enough Energon, and who cares now that the accursed Autobots have it?! And this prophecy has been foretold since the beginning of time! It speaks of great power overcoming evil, which means us! If this prophecy is fulfilled, we could all be destroyed! And you let the girl live!"

The cowardly Decepticon shivered before his master. "T-Then we will set a trap for the Autobots! The girl will no doubt follow them! It is clear Optimus cares for the fleshling as if she were…" Something then occurred to them and he slyly smiled. "Ohh, I am beginning to understand."

Megatron lifted his foot and shared the same grin. "Indeed. Optimus is unsure on whether to fulfill this prophecy or to prevent it—because he knows of what is to happen if it is fulfilled. And I know he wouldn't be willing to risk another casualty of someone dearly close to him. Believe me, I know. So, why don't we show him a kindness? We will rid him of this burden…by terminating the girl ourselves. We will let her join her father and mother. But the prophecy can only be fulfilled…by Optimus's decision."...

* * *

Lily must've cried herself to sleep again, because she woke up laying down on her bed and he face was covered in dry tears. She wearily sat up and rubbed her eyes; though she slept for only a few hours, she felt like she had just gone through hibernation.

She then backtracked to everything that had happened earlier, and she felt her chest tighten. She had just discovered her mother's murderer, and she was still unhappy at the fact Optimus Prime let him go. She sighed a little at that; she was a little angry at him for that, but at the same time she felt it was stupid to be angry with him. Because, even though she didn't want to listen, he did have a point.

Just as Lily was about to hop down from her bed, she heard the large, metal door slowly open and she froze. Once it swung open, she saw Optimus standing there; she sighed of relief, and of annoyance. However, she couldn't hold much of a grudge with him when she stared into his friendly optics, and she wore a sleepy smile.

Optimus took that smile as a sign that he could enter, and he slowly did so, kneeling down beside the bed the Autobots had prepared for her. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Lily replied in a shy tone, then she heaved a sad sigh. "I…I'm sorry…for the way I spoke to you earlier, Mr. Optimus. You were only trying to help, but I kept getting angrier and angrier. It was wrong of me to take it out on you. If you want to send me off to some other human family now, I'll understand."

Optimus silently chuckled and wore a faint smile. "You are still welcome here, Lily McElroy. And I understand. You were upset and needed to let out your feelings; although you vented it out in a way you didn't intend to."

Lily nodded shamefully and sighed. "Yeah…and I know you understand…because Ratchet told me you lost someone in the war on Cybertron." She saw Prime's hidden smile fall completely. "Who was it?"

She could sense the tension in Optimus, and she soon regretted asking him. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be prying you like this."

"It is alright, Lily," Optimus said with a light sigh.

"…It must've been someone close."

"Yes."

"You don't have to say who if it makes you uncomfortable." After a long awkward silence, Lily said, "I'm also sorry I disobeyed your orders. If I had listened, I wouldn't have gotten angry with you, I wouldn't feel this need of revenge inside me…and I wouldn't be all bandaged up like a mummy."

Optimus moaned lightly with a nod. Then, he said after a moment's thought, "Just remember, unless you are given permission, you are to stay here with Ratchet. And if you'd like…you have my permission to join us in the next mission."

Lily raised her head and widened her eyes. "I-I am?" Optimus nodded. "B-But I disobeyed…You're not worried I'll get hurt?"

"Of course, I am. That is why you will listen to every command I give to you. Understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir," Lily smiled and saluted playfully. Then she inched her index finger towards her, signaling Optimus to come closer. She did so a few times until Prime was where she wanted him to be. When he was, she crawled to the end of her bed and kissed his metal cheek plate.

Prime felt a spark in his spark and he placed a servo over the place she kissed him. He could hardly remember the last time anyone, human or Autobot, had ever done that to him before, if they ever did at all. He gazed down at her and they exchanged smiles.

"Optimus!" Ratchet called. Prime then carried the girl out of her room and over to the center of the base where the rest of the team was. "The Cons are on the move again!" The medic pointed to the monitor; it showed a large blinking dot that slowly trailed along in a straight line, marking the Decepticon warship. "They're heading for an abandoned structure with a pointed item at the top, kind of like a long plus sign."

"The Saint Mary's Church?" Lily gasped. "That place is right outside of town!"

"Why would the Cons go to an old church?" asked Bulkhead

"It does not matter why they head in that direction," Optimus said, "but that they are nearing civilization. Whatever the reason they are choosing to go to this church, we must prevent them from doing any damage that could harm the humans in the area."

"Right," said Ratchet, "and I'll make sure little missy doesn't run off after you again."

Lily wore a bright grin. "Actually, I'm going with them." Ratchet stared at her funny, and then his jaw dropped when she told him Optimus said she could.

'Alright!' Bee whirred as he pumped his fists.

"A-Are you sure that's such a good idea, Prime?" the medic asked.

"Lily will be safe with us as long as she sticks close, and does exactly as I command," Optimus informed his physician.

Ratchet sighed and shook his head as he powered up the ground-bridge. "I just hope you're making the right decision, Optimus, allowing her to tag along."

If Optimus Prime had a stomach, he'd have that deep, sinking feeling in it. _Decision_…what if this was the decision that would either prevent or fulfill the prophecy? Concern suddenly flooded the Autobot commander, but he dared not let it show. "Hold tight to me, Lily," he told the girl. "Autobots, transform, and roll out!"

Prime, Bulkhead and Bumblebee all transformed into their vehicle modes; Lily jumped inside of the semi-truck, and then the Autobot leader led his teammates through the portal. Once they made it through, Ratchet closed it behind them.


	4. The Decision, 2

**The Decision, Part Two—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter 3 continued…

The rain was lightly pouring down as the Autobots jumped through the portal and landed on the moist dirt. Lily hopped out and the bots transformed into their robot forms. Optimus lowered his hand to the ground for her to climb onto it; he raised his servo up to the top of his helm, and Lily clung to the right horn as tightly as she could.

"There's the warship," said Bulkhead, pointing to the floating Decepticon ship that hovered over a worn out, paint-chipped church. Though the Saint Mary's Church was a quarter of a mile away from their location, it rather larger than what the Autobots had envisioned it would be; it was three times Optimus Prime's height, to be exact, and it had a large cathedral and a tall bell tower at the top. It must've been larger on the inside than the outside. However, the structure appeared ready to give at any second. The wood looked chewed through and rotten, and even the lightest breeze made the entire building creak. Lily was right; the church was not far from civilization, in fact it was only a block away from the nearest house. The Autobots knew they had to stop the Decepticons from whatever they were planning. "It's still bugging me at why they would come here for a fight."

'No doubt to bring harm to the humans,' Bumblebee bleeped.

"We have to stop them," Lily whispered.

"That's what we're here for," Bulkhead said proudly.

"Full stealth mode, Autobots," Optimus instructed. "We mustn't make ourselves known to the Decepticons just yet."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "You're a 30-foot tall giant talking robot. That may prove to be a little difficult."

Bulk and Bee began snickering in agreement, but they were silenced when Optimus's optics narrowed at them. The Autobot leader then made a gesture with his servo, signaling the others to follow his lead, and they cautiously made their way towards the chapel.

"Mr. Optimus," whispered Lily.

"Yes, Lily?" he said.

"You hear that humming sound?"

"Humming sound?" Prime then looked up and he saw faint red dots at the bottom of the Decepticon warship, and his optics widened a little. "Spread out!" he ordered. The other Autobots scattered across the field, and right where they were standing red beams struck the earth, disintegrating the grass and the soil.

"So much for stealth," Bulkhead sighed.

'Look!' Bumblebee beeped as he pointed his servo up to the warship. They all looked to the flight deck of the ship and saw a figure standing there.

"Megatron," Optimus said, narrowing his optics. The leader of the Decepticons glared down upon them, his glowing red optics gleaming with hate and power. However, those evil optics stayed locked only on one of them. Though they focused on Optimus, the Prime wasn't their key interest at this time. They were locked onto Lily.

"Enjoy this day on Earth, little fleshling!" they all heard Megatron roar, "for it will be your very last!"

Lily gasped. "What's that mean? What's he mean by that?!" Optimus glared up at his foe; if Lily was the main target and not him or the other Autobots, then he knew exactly what Megatron meant.

"It's like they knew we had Lily with us," Bulkhead exclaimed. "Now I think I know why they came to this church! To lead us here! It's all a trap!"

"For me?!" Lily cried.

"Do not worry, Lily," Optimus assured her. "I assure no, no Decepticon will harm you, so long as you do as I command." Lily nodded frantically and clung to the horn of his helm as tightly as she could. "Autobots, prepare for battle!" Then the Autobot leader transformed into his semi-truck form with Lily strapped in and secured. Bumblebee and Bulkhead followed his lead, and they rolled towards the church.

Starscream joined Megatron on the flight deck, sneering a devious grin. "They are falling right into your trap, Lord Megatron."

"Yes," the Con leader hissed slowly, sharing the same smile as his second-in-command. "Not only will we permanently extinguish Prime's and his Autobots' sparks…but also change the long foretold prophecy's course. Now Optimus will have no choice." Megatron glared down to see the Autobots in their vehicle forms, racing towards their ship, the Nemesis, and the church. He and Starscream transformed into their jet modes, took off from the flight deck and soared down in the bots' paths, attempting for a head-on collision. Of course, Megatron chose the large, red and blue big rig, and began firing at the semi-truck with his laser cannons.

"M-Mr. Optimus!" Lily wailed frantically as she pointed to the jet speeding and shooting at them. Almost at the last second, Prime veered out of the way, spinning in circles across the dirt, and the jet zoomed passed them.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Optimus asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Lily let out a high-pitched groan and clutched her stomach as she closed her eyes. "I will be once the world stops spinning."

Optimus transformed into his Autobot form, holding Lily in his hand as he knelt on the ground. "Prime!" Bulkhead exclaimed as he pointed back up to the Nemesis; a swarm of Decepticon jets dove off the flight deck and sped to their location. Optimus glared and quickly rose to his feet; but when he tried to stand, a jolt of pain surged through his circuitry, and he collapsed to his knees again.

"Mr. Optimus!" Lily cried as she jumped out of his hand, backing away a little to get a full image of him. "Are you okay?!"

The Prime groaned as he hugged his side. Removing his servo, he discovered that he had unknowingly been hit by one of Megatron's blasts, and he was leaking Energon. "I…I'm alright, Lily," he assured her, but he easily saw the fear and concern in her wet, green eyes.

Bee saw Prime hunched over and ceased firing at the oncoming Decepticon armada, whirring fearfully. "Go help Optimus, Bee! I'll cover you," Bulkhead said. The scout took off to the Autobot commander's side and assisted him.

"No, I'm fine, Bumblebee. Return to your post and-_nggh-_-assist…Bulkhead," Optimus said with a wince as he managed to barely get off of his knees.

"Mr. Optimus, stop fighting it and let Bee help," said Lily, backing up just a little further—then got swept up by a fighter's jet and screamed.

"No!" Prime exclaimed and rose to his feet, only to fall again from the surge of pain. "Starscream!" Bee helped Prime get to his feet slowly and buzzed sorrowfully.

"Well, who's going to help the little fleshling if none of you can?!" Starscream cackled.

Lily couldn't believe she was trapped inside her mother's killer, and angrily she began kicking and pounding from the cock pit. "Let me out! You let me out now! You murderer! Let me out!"

Starscream soared over the church and sneered. "As you wish, puny human." Then, he strapped Lily fast to the seat and ejected it into the rainy air, and he flew off.

Optimus glanced up and saw through the pouring rain Lily plummeting to earth strapped to the seat, and his sound processors rang as she wailed. "No! Bumblebee!"

Bee nodded and quickly sped off in his Camaro form towards the church. Once he was close, he retransformed into his Autobot appearance and climbed to the top of the church, holding onto the cross for support. He reached up with his other servo and he caught the ejected seat by the seatbelt. He tore at it until it was removed from the seat and held the sobbing little girl close to his spark chamber. Bumblebee didn't have time to notice the missiles soaring their way. By the time he noticed them out of the corner of his wide optics, they had already struck the church, and the roof collapsed to the ground.

Bulkhead and Optimus watched in shock as the scout and the human fell within the church, and the cathedral walls came tumbling inward. Not long after, Bumblebee emerged from the rubble, and only he appeared. Then he began frantically lifting chunks of rock, searching for Lily, his beeps and buzzes becoming more panicky when his search for her became longer.

The Decepticons began firing at Prime and Bulk once more, their lasers only striking inches from their armor, singing the grass. "Bulkhead…assist Bumblebee…I'll cover you," Optimus said as he fought the surging pain and stood tall on his feet.

"But Prime, you're still wounded," Bulkhead pointed out.

"Bulkhead, I now order you to assist Bumblebee."

"…Y-Yes, sir," Bulk nodded and sped off as fast as he could to the church while Optimus faced the oncoming armada; he transformed his servos into laser-firearms, aimed them up to the sky and fired while they shot back at him. When beams from the armada's guns zipped by or struck the wound on Prime's side, he nearly doubled over but kept his ground and continued firing, hoping to buy his teammates a little more time until the Decepticons could get to them.

The Wrecker and the scout kept lifting and removing rubble and searching every inch of the wreckage in hopes of finding their little human friend. Their sparks came to a halt when they saw a tiny, burnt, ash-coated hand sticking out from under a large chunk of the church wall. The two carefully lifted it to reveal a sobbing Lily. Her entire body was covered in ashes and scrapes.

Bumblebee took her into his arms and cradled her. 'I'm so sorry, Lily,' he said, almost in a weepy tone.

Lily lightly sobbed with a wince. "I-It…wasn't your fault…"

"What hurts, Lil?" asked Bulkhead.

Lily groaned and cringed. "M-My body hurts a-all over…My arm…Can't move it…"

"Hold on, Lily. I'll call Ratchet and have him open a ground-bridge." Just before Bulkhead could power up his COM-link, a Decepticon shot at him at close range, and he was sent flying far from the wreckage. Bee tried climbing out of the pile of rubble as quickly as he could, while he held Lily as closely as he could without hurting her; however, another Con fired at him, and his grip immediately loosened around her. Lily screamed a little as she went flying then sprawled all over the wet grass, the entire front of her body soaked from the rain.

Optimus turned when he heard the child scream and saw six Decepticons attacking his teammates, three of them firing at each Autobot. It seemed they were trying to prevent Bumblebee and Bulkhead from reaching Lily, and he knew why. Then he looked up to see Megatron and Starscream once again on the flight deck of the Nemesis. The Decepticon leader appeared to have something in his clutches and held it over the edge, then he released it. As soon as he did, the armada had completely retreated to the Nemesis, and the ship took off. Optimus's optics followed the falling object and realized it was plummeting right above the church remains—right where Lily and his teammates were. Then his sharp sound-processors heard a light beeping noise rapidly increase, and he felt his spark stop.

"No," he whispered from behind his battle mask. He acted quickly and charged towards them, limping a little from his wound, but he couldn't let that stop him. Assisting each Autobot by fighting alongside them to eliminate the Cons, then he took Lily into his hands and placed her onto his helm. "Hold on tight, Lily," he told her. She weakly nodded and grasped on as tight as she could, which wasn't a tight grip, with her good arm to the horns of his helm.

"GRENADE!" Bulkhead hollered. The Autobots took off just as soon as the beeping became a long hum.

They barely ran a good distance when the grenade detonated. There was a sonic boom, a massive wave of heat and light, and a heavy force from the blast ran through the Autobots, knocking them off their feet and sending them tumbling across the wet field, sprawling out over the grass. As the boom began to fade, the Autobots laid in the field completely motionless.

* * *

Optimus figured he blacked out, because he suddenly found himself emerging from stasis at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. He felt like he was shaking, or being shook. Then he knew the one calling to him had him by the shoulders and was rattling him. "R-Ratchet…."

"He's coming around! Oh, thank Primus," the medic sighed of relief. Prime's optics adjusted their focus and the area around him seemed clearer. He saw Ratchet towering above him with Bumblebee and Bulkhead on opposite sides of him. "Don't worry, we're back at base. You took some serious damage, Prime, but I managed to patch up most of your wound while you were unconscious. I'll continue working on it later."

Optimus then had an empty feeling in his fuel tanks, and he immediately sat up from the examination table. Ratchet told him to take it easy but he refused to listen; he frantically searched around, turning his head in every direction. "Where is Lily?" he asked. His teammates wore the same sickly look right then, and they seemed afraid to answer.

When his team failed to reply, he got up from the berth and limped down the right corridor. He checked inside of Lily's quarters and froze. Laying there completely motionless was the tiny human girl, laying on her human-sized examination table with a monitor screen right next to it. Her body was severely injured, her limbs were gashed and oddly-colored, and she was covered in red from head to toe. Wires connected to the monitor stuck out of her wrist, chest and sides. She appeared far worse than in the condition when he first found her. "Lily…" he whispered and ever so slowly reached out to her, stroking a digit over her head.

Lily felt like the world was spinning all around her; her body trembled from the excruciating pain while her injured arm was completely numb, and she barely had the strength to open her eyes. She exhaustedly looked up to see the Autobot leader towering over her; this was the very first time she ever saw fear on his metallic face. "…I…I'm s-sorry…I d-didn't…hold o-on…tight e-enough…M-Mr. Op…timus…"

Though she spoke barely over a whisper, Prime's keen hearing heard each word said and sighed wearily, shuddering a little. "Do not speak, Lily. Save your strength. And…it's alright…There is no need for you to apologize. It wasn't your fault. I...I shouldn't have told you to hold on. I should have carried you...I am the one who is sorry." It nearly put him offline to see the girl this way, and he finally turned away when Lily slipped into unconsciousness again. Optimus eyed the monitor screen and watched Lily's heart rate become slower and weaker. Sighing with a light shudder, he hung his head and sat on his knees.

Ratchet entered the room, slowly approaching Optimus's side. "Before I began working on you, I rushed Lily to the town's emergency room. The doctors there, they…" he looked away, eying Lily's body out of the corner of his optics. "…They say there's…little to no chance of survival." Prime sighed heavily and turned his head away. "They said…she was heavily bleeding internally…several of her main organs had collapsed…and her skeletal structure is just too badly broken. They…said they don't expect her live by midnight."

Optimus turned his head towards Ratchet, and the medic gasped; faint blue streaks stained under Prime's optics and ran all the way down under his chin, and the Autobot leader slightly trembled with each heavily breath he took. Ratchet felt like his spark was being torn to bits; he remembered the last time he saw his chief with that same look. He watched one fresh Energon tear after another flow from Optimus's optics; Prime must not care about Ratchet seeing him like this. The pain must've been too great to contain. Ratchet instantly understood and rested a comforting hand on the Prime's shoulder.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead poked their heads in slowly and saw Ratchet comforting Optimus. They were stunned to see their leader this way, but it was understandable. Both Ratchet and Prime turned towards the entrance, and Bee and Bulk slowly entered. "We…just wanted to check on her," Bulkhead said softly.

Ratchet focused on Lily's vitals on the monitor. "Her heart rate is gradually decreasing, and so is her breathing…She doesn't have time." At this, Bumblebee hid his face in his hands and wept, and Bulkhead pulled him in close. "Her mind is still active, though…everything else is slowly shutting down."

Bulkhead shed an Energon tear of his own as he took Bee with him away from Lily's room. Once they left, Optimus let out another shuddered sigh, gently stroking Lily's body. "It cannot end like this for her…She's only a small child…She still has so much to live for…"

That's when it dawned on him. Optimus slowly sat up a little straighter and glanced out into the hall. Ratchet knew where he was looking to. "You've…always said you'd put it to use when necessary…and I think now is the time." He saw the hurt in Prime's eyes and sighed. "It's clear the decision has been made for us. We have no choice. If we want Lily to live…then this is the only way."

Optimus hung his head; the decision—it was said by Alpha Trion himself that the prophecy could be prevented or fulfilled only by Optimus's decision. And he feared the one he was about to make would fulfill it. But as he gazed at the tiny girl's body as her life slowly withered away before his optics, he was willing to make it.

Flooding his intakes with a deep breath of air, Prime slowly rose to his feet, entered the hall, and he pressed buttons on a control panel to open the door of Chamber 87.

* * *

That day in the field is one day Megatron would never forget as he stared out over the wet desert valley while he stood on the flight deck. The look on Optimus's face when the church caved in, along with the yellow scout and little human, and smothered them, it was too precious. It seemed almost too easy to take on the Autobot leader and his team; the possible reason was because the little girl had tagged along with them. But it didn't matter. There was no trace of Autobot life in the area, the child was presumed dead from the damage she took, and so was the prophecy.

"I must congratulate you on your triumphant victory today, Master," Starscream bowed.

"Yes," Megatron hissed. "And no signs of the Autobots anywhere. Either they managed to survive or they turned into scrap metal, they are the very least of our concern at this moment. Not while they mope and mourn over the loss of their little friend."

"So much for the 'oh-so-powerful', long foretold prophecy," his second-in-command chuckled evilly with a sneer. "And whether the brat survived the explosion, she will not live much longer. I watched her take the heat from wherever I was, and I watched her gradually become weaker, and weaker, and weaker, up until the explosion. Once again, Optimus Prime has failed to save another human life."

"As well as the loss of someone dear to him," the Decepticon leader grinned malignantly, baring his jagged set of metallic teeth, "by my doing. Oh, I can just imagine Optimus weeping over the human germ's body…just like he did over…_hers_."

"Yeees. Now she may join her precious father and mother."

"And not long after her passing, the Autobots will soon become one with the All-Spark. Once this planet is rid of them forever, I shall rule this spit of rock and use it to create my own empire! Its inhabitants will be our slaves, they will do our bidding, and we will suck this planet dry of all its resources! I know Prime won't be able to stop me. He'll either be dead already…or he'd be too overwhelmed to fight."

* * *

Lily awoke to the heaviest feeling she had ever felt. She could hardly move, and even if she could she didn't want to. It hurt to even lift a finger. She felt like her head was spinning circles, her body was heavy and ice-cold. Her heart seemed to be on fire, although it pulsed steadily. That's when she suddenly realized she was alive.

Opening her mouth, she took in a deep breath of fresh air and let it out slowly, repeating this a few times before using as much strength as she could to open her eyes. Lily looked around, only shifting her eyes; she saw she was still in her own room the Autobots had given her, and she was still on her own bed. She sighed of relief that she was still in a familiar place and listened carefully; the entire missile silo was quiet. So quiet she could hear her heart beat through her chest. She presumed the other bots were out on a mission, and Ratchet would be in the center of the base watching the monitor and manning the ground-bridge controls, ready to open it at Optimus's command. Optimus…she remembered looking up and seeing the fear all over his face for her before she blacked out. She really should thank them all when they return for saving her again. She had no idea what they did, but she was glad they did it to keep her alive.

Lily felt her back becoming stiff; she wanted to move, even though it sent light jolts of pain through her body with every flinch. She first started with her hands. Closing her eyes so she could concentrate more, she curled her fingers in and clenched them, tightening her grip then loosening it. She thought she heard a light scraping and clanking sound, but brushed it off as a noise coming from outside of her quarters. Then she tried moving her feet. Lily couldn't quite wiggle her toes, but she was able to shift her feet a little and turn her ankles. She rotated her left wrist in a clockwise circle, and her right fist in a counterclockwise motion. The scraping noise grew louder, but she paid no mind to it. Then she propped herself up on her elbows and rolled onto her side; that's when she noticed her hand.

Her eyes widened to see a robotic hand laying next to her. She told herself to wiggle her fingers, and the robotic hand did the same thing. She gasped; that was _her_ hand. Then she looked at her arm. Both of them had a cylindrical, crimson metal piece wrapped around her arm from her wrist to her elbow; she continued upward and saw smaller pieces of the same metal of the same color on her upper arm, and her shoulder had a cupped piece of metal around it. Her other arm looked exactly the same. Sitting up quickly so she could check the rest of her body, her eyes widened as far as they could go. Upper and lower body were like knight's armor, her legs covered in plates that wrapped completely around it, and her feet had silver caps. She was on the verge of screaming but contained it—until she managed to see her reflection. She had a helm, little horns on the side of her head, and it was the same color as the rest of her body. Her face was metallic, and her eyes...they looked just like Optimus's; she could not believe them, either.

* * *

Ratchet jumped at the sound of a sudden shriek within the base. Then he quickly relaxed once he figured where the scream came from and chuckled while shaking his head. "She's found out," he muttered as he left the controls and headed for Lily's room to find her staring at her reflection on her armor, hyperventilating on her bed.

Lily looked up and saw the medic in her doorway. "R-Ratchet!" she stammered as she jumped down; but her legs gave in under her and she fell to her hands and knees. She tried getting back up, but she fell back down again. "W-What...What happened...?!"

"Easy, Lily," Ratchet said as he came to her side, helping her stand, holding her by the shoulders so she doesn't fall. "It will take some time getting used to your new legs, and your new...everything."

"E-Exactly!" Lily cried out. "Why is everything on me completely new?! Why am I robotic?! Why am I taller than usual?!...A-Am I a robot?!"

"Calm down, Lily, calm down," Ratchet said softly. "You are more than that, Lily." Though she was still panicking a little, the smile on the medical officer's face brought some comfort to her. However she still felt tears build up in her eyes and flow down her cheeks. Though her face was metallic, she felt everything as though she were human. She realized then her tears were deep bright blue, much like the color of the Autobots' eyes...her eyes... "E-Energon...tears...I-I cry Energon...?" she looked up to Ratchet.

He smiled and wiped them away for her. "Yes, you do. We all do, if we need to, that is. You cry Energon from your optics and leak it from an injury. It's common for us Autobots."

"What happened?" she asked him, trembling a little.

"Ratchet." Optimus's voice came on over the COM-link. "Requesting a bridge. We have all the Energon we need."

"Excellent," Ratchet replied. "Must've been an easy fight. You'll have to tell us all about it when you all return."

"_Us_?...Wait, Lily is conscious?" he asked. Lily couldn't help but smile as she hinted the light eagerness in his voice.

"Just woke up, in fact," said the medic. "I'll open a bridge in just a moment." The COM-link went dead and Ratchet supported Lily by gripping her under her arm. "Would you rather me carry you out or you want to try out your legs first?" he asked.

"Let me try to walk," Lily said, and Ratchet gave her some room. She gained her balance and slowly put one foot in front of the other. She wobbled with each step, nearly tripping over her feet a few times. Then her legs just decided to give out from under her and she fell, planting her face into the floor. "...I think it's best if you carry me," she spoke from the floor.

Ratchet laughed as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her out to the center of the base. Placing her on the floor, he powered up the ground-bridge. Only a moment later, Bumblebee and Bulkhead sped in and immediately transformed into their Autobot forms.

"Lily?!" Bulkhead exclaimed. "It's so good to see you up and about, kid!" He picked her up and squeezed her while shaking her like a doll.

"Good...to see you, too...B-Bulkhead. I can't breathe," she gasped.

"Oh, sorry," Bulk chuckled and set her down. "Man, you are taller, now. Not as tall as Bee, but you are child-Autobot sized." Lily chuckled as she wobbled where she stood. "Still getting used to your new legs? Don't worry, in time you'll get used to them."

Bumblebee was next to embrace Lily in a hug. 'Welcome back to the land of moving parts, Lil. You look great!' he chirped happily, smiling through his optics.

"Thanks, Bee," Lily replied, hugging him back. "But where's...?"

"He's coming," Bulkhead said.

Shortly after, the large, red and blue semi truck rolled through the bridge and it closed behind him. Optimus then transformed into his Autobot form and headed over towards his teammates, and his little friend. He lightly smiled down at her. "How are you feeling, Lily?"

"I'm...managing," she said taking a step towards him, stumbling a little. "Um...thanks for making sure I was safe...again...Mr. Optimus." Then she noticed out of the corner of her new optics, that the door to Chamber 87 was open. "...Was this body in Chamber 87?" she asked him, and he nodded. "Well...it sure was a good thing you just so happened to have it laying around...So...what happened after I blacked out?"

"The doctors at the hospital didn't expect you to live through the night, so Ratchet transmitted your mind from your human body into this one," Optimus explained. "Of course some things needed to be added in order for you to function properly. The spark needed to be recharged. With the power charger we used to transfer your mind, it powered up most of the spark. However a piece was missing. So I filled it."

"How?"

"With a piece of his own spark," said Ratchet. Lily's optics widened and she gazed up at Prime, as if to say 'seriously?!' The Autobot leader nodded and had a sort of bashful look on his face that only she could see.

Then, she took a step towards him and fell forward, but Prime caught her and helped her back up. "Do not worry, Lily," he told her. "With practice, you will adjust to this new body."

Lily smiled up at him, then pondered. "Hey...since I'm...now one of you...does that make me a part of Team Prime?"

"Once you control your abilities, yes."

"...What about part of the family?"

Optimus's optics widened a little at this, then he faintly smiled. "You already were when I brought you back with us." Lily grinned and hugged him tightly; she was glad she could actually wrap her arms around him, human or Autobot. Prime chuckled and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Bee, Bulkhead and Ratchet stood on the other side of the room. 'Things are going to be a bit different around here, now,' Bumblebee whirred.

"Especially between him and her," stated Bulkhead. "Since he gave a tiny piece of his spark to her, they are literally connected in a way. They'll be closer than ever."

"Yes," Ratchet nodded, lightly grinning at the well-hidden happiness on his commander's face as Prime and Lily smiled at each other. "After all...she now possesses the body of his daughter."


	5. His Greatest Creation

**His Greatest Creation—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter 4, part one

"This request of yours...it is rather a strange one, if not the strangest I've ever heard."

"It is rather bizarre, but it is possible."

"To give a soldier _that_ much power? What if it goes into overload?"

"We will train them to control their unique abilities."

"But this young..."

"Alpha Trion, sir," stated Optimus Prime, "if we begin our legion at a young enough age, they will have more experience than full-adult Autobots. And we all know of the foretold prophecy: a new breed of warrior would overcome all evil. This creation could be what the prophecy describes, and we will never know without trying."

Alpha Trion sighed, glancing down at the floor of his factory. "You have made a good point. But...if this war—no, _when_ this war ends, what will we do with them?"

"We will send them off to Autobot families who have lost loved ones in the war..." Optimus lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling his spark aching, and slightly turned his head away.

Alpha Trion stepped forward and rested a comforting hand on his student's shoulder. "Just like you have. Oh, my dear Optimus Prime...Elita-1 was a magnificent creation, was she not?"

Prime fought Energon tears and nodded. "Of course. You created her, after all." They both chuckled lightly and smiled.

After a moment's thought, Alpha Trion slowly nodded his head and said, "Very well, Optimus. Because you are much like a son to me, and because it is for a good cause in aiding us in this war...I will go forth with your plan."

"Many thanks, Alpha Trion, sir," Prime obliged.

Alpha Trion then led him through the other side of the courtyard, stepping over debris and rubble from fallen structures and destroyed roads, and being careful in not disturbing the spark-less bodies of their fallen comrades. It tore Optimus's spark to see so many of his kind lying dead on every single street, even piled up on top of each other. Spilt Energon, from Autobots and Decepticons alike, splattered and stained whatever they landed on. Dark blue blotches covered the walls of buildings and alley-ways, as well as the many deceased. Even the Cybertron air had that tinged smell of fresh Energon rising up, as well as the smell of rust from rotting Cybertronians. The war had lasted over a millennia, eons of death, destruction, some victories, much more losses, and mourning over fallen loved ones. Optimus remembered that one day. He couldn't forget it, no matter how hard he tried...

* * *

_The sonic boom of the fusion cannons shook the buildings as well as the ground. The planet was lit up by explosions, firearms, and countless fires from burnt down buildings in tightly packed cities. The beams of laser cannons zipped by each opponent, some striking their target, others just barely missing them. Cries of the fallen shrilled the night, cries of both Autobots and Decepticons...Optimus Prime never expected one particular cry to be heard._

_He made his way up a street, hopping over wreckage while blasting a firearm with one servo, and slashing Cons to pieces with a sword on the other. "You seem to be getting better. Guess you're not as old and slow as I thought, Prime," he heard a voice say over his COM-link._

_He chuckled. "Very funny, Elita. Shouldn't you be battling Cons instead of contacting me?"_

"_Already done," said a brightly colored female Autobot as she stood on top of a pile of Decepticon corpses. "Don't tell me you and your squadron still haven't completed your assigned task. I thought you were the 'Ultimate Prime'."_

"_Ohoho, when this is over, I'll show you just how 'ultimate' I can be," Prime playfully threatened while firing his weapon. "—Oh, I need to go."_

"_You kick some Decepticon afts, Optimus," Elita smirked. "Over out." _

_Once the COM-link went dead, Prime set his full focus on defeating an oncoming armada of Decepticon jets. He kept himself hidden behind a piece of fallen wreckage as another young Autobot joined him. "What's the status, Bumblebee?" he asked._

"_The armada is a total of twenty Cons," replied the scout. "Half of them offensive attackers, the other half is back-up."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_All the larger jets are in the back." They both laughed and charged up their weapons. "So, Prime," Bee began as they both charged in to attack, "what do you plan to do when this war is over?"_

_Prime chuckled. "Enjoy my life a little more each day with the strength Primus has given me to keep fighting this long...and possibly settle down."_

"_Ooh, with Elita?" Bumblebee teased. "It's about time you considered."_

"_Don't make me kick your aft, too, Bumblebee," Optimus threatened with a smile. "Just focus on the task at hand." Then he slid his battle-mask over his face and readied his weapons._

"_Will do, sir," Bee grinned as he morphed both his servos into firearms._

"_Autobots!" Optimus cried out to the rest of his squadron. "Take down the second half of that armada! Fire on my mark!" He waited until the Cons were close before giving the command. "FIRE!" Each Autobot shot up to the sky at the larger line of jets, some barely missing and others landing right on target. They took out their wings to bring them down to the ground, and once the crashed Decepticons landed and transformed, half of the Autobot squadron charged and swung fists and slashed their foes with their swords._

"_Decepticons," hollered the leader of the armada, "dive down and attack!" The remaining forces did as commanded and took a swan dive, firing their blasters at the Autobots—one of them striking the little scout._

"_Bumblebee!" Optimus shouted and ran to his aid. His scout appeared dented and scarred from multiple blasts impacting him at one. He never even saw the attack coming; neither did Optimus Prime. "Bumblebee, are you alright?!" Bee tried to speak, but that came out was static and squeaks. "No...they've damaged your voice box." He turned to one of his teammates. "Ratchet!"_

_A red and white Autobot ceased his fire and came at the call of his commander. "What is it, Optimus?"_

"_Bumblebee's voice box has been severely damaged. I need you to get him to the infirmary so he can get looked at."_

"_The closest infirmary is over five miles away, but I'll get him there." Ratchet took Bumblebee into his arms and sped off._

_Optimus then refocused himself to get back to the original task and readied himself for battle once more, morphing his servos both into swords. His deep-bright blue optics flared and he charged, letting out a battle cry as he swung his blades clean through every Decepticon that came across his path, dismembering many, decapitating others, up until they were scrap metal. His teammates gawked at him in amazement as he stood amongst the armada ruins.  
_

_Prime noticed one jet had escaped and glared hatefully, growling a little through his battle mask, then turned towards his teammates. "Spread out around the courtyard and check under any wreckage. There may be survivors still in this area."_

"_Yes, sir!" the squadron saluted and scattered out across the battlefield. Optimus lowered his gaze to the scraps of the Decepticons. He kicked a Con's head across the field and watched it soar. He prayed his scout would be alright; he considered Bee a son to him as much as he considered Elita-1 his lover._

_Prime's body suddenly stood still as an Energon-curdling scream filled the air. His optics widened and his spark stopped. His armor wracked with shivers as the cry vibrated his sound-processors. He knew that cry all too well. "Elita..."_

_He found her body completely dismembered. Her armor was ripped from her body, her servos were torn from their joints and were snapped in many directions. Her helm was removed, her neck was twisted, and her optics were gouged. Energon flowed from her wounds like a river. Obviously, whoever had done this to her, he enjoyed it and took his time._

_Prime felt his spark throb violently in pain as he collapsed to his knees over her dismantled corpse, burying his face into his hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Energon tears flowed like rivers from his optics, through his digits and down his armor. His entire body trembled with each sob, and he strained to keep himself from wailing. Slowly reaching forward, he picked up Elita's limbless upper body, pressed her tightly against his chest, and rocked back and forth as tears dripped onto her armor. He couldn't stop staring into her shattered, Energon-stained, black optics, and each second longer he did so, the more he grieved. He blamed himself; he should have been there for her, even though he knew he couldn't._

_Unable to contain the pain any longer, he threw his head back and howled._

* * *

"We will need to start off with one model first," said Alpha Trion as he stood at the controls of Vector Sigma. "Just so we know whether this plan is successful, and I pray it is."

"One model is fine," Prime nodded.

"Now, refresh my memory, Optimus. What abilities would you like it to have? You've stated so many I lost track."

Optimus chuckled lightly. "The new breed of soldiers should have abilities unlike other Autobots or Decepticons. They should fly without having to transform into a jet. They should have incredible speed and strength. They will need to protect themselves from blasts and swords, so they should have the advantage of calling on a shield to surround them."

"Oh yes, that's one thing none of us can do," Alpha Trion chuckled.

"They should also have the ability to repair themselves if they end up critically injured during a fight."

"Ability to heal? Right. Now, for their personality. Oh-ho, this should be a kicker."

Optimus laughed a little and thought a while. "They should have loyalty to their commanding officer, they should display compassion and understanding, as well as knowing when to fight, and of course display the appropriate emotions and behavior their age group should have."

Alpha Trion punched in the numbers and gripped a servo on the switch. Taking in a breath of air, he pulled it, and the circuits of the super-computer Vector Sigma hummed and lit up. "Best if you wait outside while Sigma works, Optimus. I will call you when the new bot is complete."

Optimus lowered his head in a bow and left the room, stepping into the hall and leaning against the wall, folding his servos over his chest, heaving a sigh. He was pleased that his plan was setting in motion, he just wished time would go by a lot more quicker. Eventually he had fallen into a light recharge state as he sat on the ground, still leaning against the wall with his arms over his chest.

"Optimus," Alpha Trion called. Prime was disturbed of his recharge state and stood up, stretching with a moan as he rejoined his teacher. "The model is near completion."

"Excellent," Prime said, still in a daze.

Alpha Trion chuckled. "I apologize for waking you, Optimus Prime, but I knew you would like to see this." He gestured his hand to a large metallic cocoon-like case being supported by wires; the wires pulsated multi-colored streams into the case, and the sound me mechanical whirring was heard from inside. "Just a few finishing touches are bring added, then the case will open, and out comes your creation."

"_My_ creation?" said Optimus.

"Of course. This was _your_ idea, therefore _your_ creation, just as much as it will be _your _responsibility."

Optimus frowned as he pondered, then he said assuring, "Of course. Whatever happens, I will take responsibility."

"Will it have a name?"

Prime lightly smiled. "Of course. While I waited, I had thought of a few."

A buzzer went off. The wires connected to the case dimmed, the humming stopped, and mechanical tools hissed and creaked to a stop. "Well, you had better pick the best you have thought of. Because it is time to bring this new creation into the world," said Alpha Trion. He approached the cocoon, pressed a code into the remote on its side, and there were a few clicking sounds coming from inside.

Then the doors of the case creaked and slowly pulled apart; smoke began flooding out of the inside and sprawled all over the floor until it faded. Optimus took a step forward as the doors nonchalantly continued to open, and a bright light scintillated through. He shielded his optics as the doors opened as wide as they could, the light dimmed a little and the smoke cleared to reveal what was inside.

Laying on the examination table within the case, with straps around the wrists, chest and ankles, was a small, crimson-colored autonomous robotic organism. It had a childish face with closed optics, the helm had small horns on the side, much like Optimus's; there was a hump of a darker shade of red on top of the helm that started above the optics, then grew wider as it made its way to the back of the helm, then narrowed once it reached the end. The Autobot symbol was painted on both of the cupped shoulder plates, white stripes came down the front of the chest armor, and it wore triangular plating on the lower abdomen. The upper arms had short cylindrical plates around them, and the lower arm had a much longer piece that extended from the elbow to the wrist. The upper and lower legs were encased in cylindrical pieces as well, caps covered the knee joints, and the feet were round, bright-silver caps. From the shape of the body, Optimus assumed the new Autobot was female.

The little Autobot's optics suddenly opened, and Prime and Alpha Trion stood motionless. The deep-bright blue irises within each optic were wide, filled with new life and innocence; the little Autobot blinked a few times before looking all around her, letting out whispery exclaims as she gazed at the large metallic room full of wires and casings. Then she looked in front of her, and she saw a large, red and blue robot standing there. Optimus could see she appeared confused at first, then it suddenly seemed she understood something.

Optimus wore a confused look of his own when he heard a word escape the tiny Autobot's mouth: "Daddy?" He wondered if she was speaking to him. Even Alpha Trion looked at him funny. But Optimus smiled gently and took one step closer to the little one. A large grin grew on the tiny bot's face and she squeaked the same word to Optimus, wearing the most adorable expression, "Daddy!"

Alpha Trion let out a laugh while shaking his head as he approached the case. "Well, I knew you wanted young, Optimus...but I didn't imagine _this_ young. And, I guess to the child...you are her father." He began removing the straps around the girl's ankles and wrists and chest. Then he turned to Prime and asked, "So, Optimus...what is going to be her name?"

Optimus then pondered to himself for a moment, deciding which of the names he had thought of a while ago would be the best for the little Autobot. Then he smiled and he chose, "Amira."

" 'Amira'," Alpha Trion repeated. "Now there is one I've never heard before. But, the more unique, the better. Alright...Amira, come on down." He lifted the little bot off of the examination table, out of the case, and supported her on the floor.

She wobbled on her legs a little but stayed standing. Holding her arms out for balance, she looked up and smiled at Optimus. "Daddy," she chirped again and she took a step towards him. Her leg faltered and she fell, landing on her front. Optimus gasped a little and bent down to her height. The little Autobot named Amira then shakily got to her knees and sat on her legs. She looked up to Optimus Prime with wide, scintillating optics. "Daddy...my legs won't work," she whimpered. "I can't walk."

Optimus sighed with a smile as he helped her to her feet, holding onto her shoulders so she didn't fall again. "Do not worry, Amira. In time you will learn to use them well. You will be able to walk, you will be able to run as fast as your legs can carry you...you will be capable of great things, little one." He then took her in his arms and stood up, and she clung to his chest armor. "Many thanks, Alpha Trion."

"My pleasure, Optimus Prime," returned Alpha Trion. "I pray luck on the both of you. Oh, and I must inform you: because she has so many new abilities, I had no room to put in the mechanism that allows her to transform." Optimus nodded his head in a bow, then turned and left the room.

The evening was quiet; it was the first calm evening in a millennia since the war had started. No incursions were taking place in this area because it was already lost. Nothing remained except the ruins of buildings and homes and other factories. The only ones around were a few remaining Autobots trying to clean up the mess, and properly and respectfully dispose as many fallen bodies, or what was left of them, as they could. Optimus also stayed for the time being to help out, so have Bumblebee and Ratchet. But all were ready to head back into the battlefield when called. However, if such a call were to be made for Prime...he'd need to think of an alternative for the little one in his arms.

"Wow," Amira exclaimed lightly as she looked around at the wreckage. "What happened here?"

"There has been a war going on for a long time," explained Prime, "between us Autobots and Decepticons. That's why the buildings are in ruins, and why millions of our kind lay dead among us."

Amira glanced at one Autobot corpse and trembled. "Did the Decepticons do this to them?"

"Yes."

"Well, phooey on them!" Optimus laughed, and seeing him laugh made Amira giggle. "Where are we going?"

"To the Autobot secret base," Optimus said. "It's our secret bunker where we plan attacks, train our soldiers, and it's our refuge."

"Do the Decepticons know about it?"

"If they did, it wouldn't be a secret base anymore." Prime smiled when Amira giggled. "No, they know we have one, but they don't know where it is. And it's best for all of us if it stayed that way."

"Does that mean I can't tell?" Amira asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. How long till we get there, Daddy?"

"...We should be there soon. It's far from the city so no Cons can bomb it during an attack."

"Are there other little bots like me?"

"Well, not your age, but we do have some new recruits that need training. But lately our new members have become arrogant snobs, so full of themselves and not thinking of others," Optimus grumbled. "It's like they don't care there's a war at all."

"Well, phooey on them, too!" Optimus smiled and bounced her a little in his arms, making her squeal and giggle. She had the most innocent and adorable laugh he had ever heard...almost like Elita's. He grinned warmly at the thought that this little Autobot girl reminded him of his lover, but only in the good ways.

They exited the city borders by the time night fell to a part of Cybertron where hardly any structures remained; partly because most had been destroyed, and because barely any other structures were built in that area. However one small building remained standing.

"Is that it there, Daddy?" Amira asked, pointing a digit to the small building while still clinging to Optimus.

"Yes, it is," he replied.

"Oh..."

"What is it, Amira?"

"I thought it would be bigger."

Optimus laughed. "You shall see, Amira." They both approached the small structure; Optimus punched in a key code to open the door and stepped inside. Once inside, the door closed. "Stay still just for a moment, little one," he told her.

'_**Scanning for identification**_,' said a voice over a COM. Then a wide red beam appeared and it hummed as it scanned up and down Optimus's face then vanished. '_**Identification confirmed: Optimus Prime**_.'

"Hold on, Amira," he said, and the little bot clung tighter. The floor then hissed as it slowly began to drop, then increased in speed the further it traveled down until it felt like they were being sucked into a vortex.

Then, another voice came on over the COM. "Prime! It's about time you got back! Where have you been?"

"I shall explain once we get there, Ratchet," Optimus replied.

"_We_? You have someone with you? Is it a survivor?" asked Ratchet.

"You can say she is."

"_She_?...Primus, Optimus, what have you been doing up there?"

Optimus laughed. "I'll see you soon, old friend," he said, then the COM-link went dead. After a moment, the floor suddenly left the walls of the structure as it continued moving down. Amira's optics widened as she gazed an incredibly large facility under the surface of Cybertron. There were massive computer screens on both sides of the immense secret base, and several other Autobots were at their controls. On the ground floor there were numerous tables that displayed holographic features of Decepticon warships and Autobot fleets. There was a large room in the back where Amira could see young Autobots blasting weapons at targets, so she figured that area was the training room. On the floor above it, there were large bunk rooms with some bots recuperating after returning from battle, and some medics often came to check upon them; and the floor below the bunkers was the infirmary, many of the beds seen through the glass were filled with injured soldiers, and seeing some dismantled sent shivers throughout Amira's body.

"So, what do you think of our secret bunker now, Amira?" Prime asked.

"...Big...really big," she gasped and Prime let out a laugh.

The floor at last reached its destination: the computer level. Optimus stepped off of the platform and it rose quickly back up, and the Autobot leader was instantly greeted by many soldiers.

"Optimus!" Prime turned to see Ratchet and Bumblebee approaching him. "Thank Primus you are alright. I thought something might've happened to you while you were-" the medic stopped when he saw the tiny Autobot in his leader's arms. "Is this the survivor?"

"Not exactly a survivor, but recently involved in all of this," explained Prime.

"You mean she was recently created?" asked Ratchet, and Prime nodded. "...O-Oh...a-any particular reason why, sir?"

"In time you will see, old friend."

'What's her name?' the scout bleeped.

Optimus smiled and glanced down at the Autobot child. "Go on, young one, introduce yourself."

She played with her servos for a while until she peeped, "A-Amira," and hid herself in Optimus's armor.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a timid one," Ratchet lightly chortled a little as Amira peeked out at him.

'She's cute,' Bumblebee chirped as he gently prodded Amira's abdomen, making her stir and giggle.

"Bumblebee, will you show Amira around while I speak with Ratchet privately?" asked Optimus. Amira lightly whimpered and shuffled in his arms. "Do not worry, little one. Bumblebee is my most trusted scout. You will be safe with him. Alright?" Amira nodded as she extended her arms out to Bumblebee. He smiled through his optics as he took her and placed her on the ground. Amira seemed frozen for a moment until she took a step. Her legs buckled and she fell again. Bee gasped and scooped her up as she appeared on the brink of tears.

"She is still learning on how to use them. Sometime tomorrow I will train her to walk and run properly," said Optimus as he laid a servo on the child's knee cap. "Do not worry, Bee will take good care of you." Bee whirred in agreement as he prodded her again, making Amira giggle and squirm again, and the two headed off to explore the base.

Once they were gone, Ratchet and Prime went to a corner. "You went to Alpha Trion, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," replied Optimus. "Is there something wrong?"

"You had him create a _child_."

"Yes."

"Why a child?" Optimus sighed and explained the same reasons he told Alpha Trion. Ratchet shook his head and scoffed. "A child that age is not suitable for battle, Optimus."

"She will be once she's learned to master and maintain her skills. Amira has been given unique abilities," Optimus said, "talents that many Autobots and Decepticons alike cannot master."

"Oh? Like what?"

"She is sure to have speed and strength unlike anyone has ever seen-" began Prime, but Ratchet interrupted.

"Faster than Blurr? Stronger than Bulkhead?"

"With proper training, she will even surpass them. And since she is so young, she will need to protect herself on the field, so she has been gifted to generate her own shield."

"A force field?" Ratchet said with a sputter. "Yes, I don't know any Bot or Con with that ability."

"She can also fly without transforming—" Prime was interrupted again.

"Flying without having to transform? Oh yes, very unique. So, what can she transform into?"

"Nothing."

"...Pardon?"

"That is the one ability of an Autobot and Decepticon she lacks."

"Oh...I can see that being useful in combat."

Optimus frowned heavily. "Ratchet, I do not approve of you judging Amira before she has even begun training yet."

"I know, Prime, and I don't mean to judge," the medic sighed, "but...she's a _child_, for Primus's sake. Children are needy, they can't be separated from their parent for long, they get scared; what if she becomes too frightened on the field?"

"Are we not all frightened when facing against our enemy?"

"Hah, I can't imagine you being afraid."

Optimus lowered his gaze. "I can be afraid...not really for myself, but for those I care about." He then closed his optics and slightly turned his head away.

Ratchet sighed, knowing what his commander was thinking of. "I'm awfully sorry about Elita-1, Prime. I truly am. I'll be honest...I'll never forget the look on your face when you carried in what was left of her body. But...this child...what if she is injured in battle?"

"Then I will take responsibility," Optimus stated. "I am the reason she exists, therefore I am responsible for her. And if she were to be injured in the middle of a battle, she can heal herself, as well as others."

Ratchet's optics widened. "You're joking. She can heal?! Ho...if only she were already trained to use that, we could use it on our injured."

"And in time, she will, old friend," Optimus said as he rested an assuring hand on Ratchet's shoulder. "Until then, let her adjust to her surroundings so she can feel comfortable."

They both slightly jumped at the sound of squealing, and they look to see Bumblebee holding Amira over his helm while running around the base. "Faster, Bee, faster!" Amira giggled as she held her arms out like wings. Everyone they passed stared at them funny then went back to their duties. Optimus and Ratchet both chuckled as the scout raced towards them then slowed and handed the child to Optimus.

'The Amira-ship has landed safely. Job well done, commander!' Bee whirred as he saluted playfully. Amira giggled and returned the salute.

"Thank you, Bumblebee," said Optimus. Then he dismissed himself and headed for the bunker floor. As the two made their way down a flight of stairs, Amira waved at Ratchet and Bumblebee beaming a smile, and they waved back before returning to their posts.

As they passed other Autobots, Amira noticed everyone was staring at her, and it made her feel uncomfortable. "Why are they staring at me, Daddy?"

"It's only because you are new," said Prime. "They will get used to you soon." Then he approached a large door, punched a code into the lock, and the door slid open.

"Is this your bunker?" Amira asked.

"Yes, and now it is also yours," Optimus replied as he stepped inside and the door closed behind them.

"Really? We'll share it?"

"Yes?"

"Where will I sleep?"

"As of now, there is only one bed, but we will share it until we can find one your size."

"Okay..."

Optimus hinted a little sleepiness in the child's voice. "Are you tired, young one?"

Amira yawned and rubbed her optics. "N-No..." Optimus chuckled and took her back to his private quarters where he laid her on a bed his size.

"Get some sleep, Amira," he said warmly, then he got up and began to head out.

Amira quickly sat up. "Wait...where are you going?" she asked.

Optimus stopped in his tracks and turned towards her. "As the leader of the Autobots, I also must return to my post, and do my part if we're ever going to win this war."

Amira saddened her optics a little. "Y-You're just gonna leave me here alone?"

Prime sighed lightly as he turned to leave. "Only for a little while. I promise I won't be long."

"No!" Amira cried. "Don't leave me alone, Daddy!"

Optimus's optics widened a little at the child's outburst. She just stared at him with shimmering optics which seemed to be begging him to stay, and her mouth was curved to a pout. He sighed; he didn't want to leave her alone, but the Autobots needed a leader. He only intended to check up on any Decepticon activities and give off any needed orders, and he had to see how the recruits were managing on their training. While his mind told him to go do his duties, his spark told him to stay, and be a father.

He then smiled kindly and approached her, kneeling beside the bed. "Would you let me go, if I sang you to sleep?" Amira blinked at him for a while then lowered her gaze, as if she was thinking it over. After a moment she met optics with him and slowly nodded. "Very well," he said as he had her lay back down, but she sat back up and held her servos out to him. It took a moment for him to figure out what she wanted, then he placed her in his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed, cradling her in one arm while she held his hand.

Optimus honestly didn't know where to begin; he hadn't done this before. But if it's enough to get this child to sleep so he can resume his duties as the Autobot leader, it was worth a try. He searched through his memory banks of any soft Cybetronian lullabies he might've known or heard; once he found one, he lightly cleared his throat, slowly rocked her back and forth and he began:

"_Oh, gentle thing,_

_So young, so full of life_

_Rest away, to a peaceful night_

_Please be at peace,_

_And fall asleep soundly_

_Until you wake to the morning light._

"_Sweet little one,_

_Relax and please lay still,_

_Let the stars above be your guide_

_Close your optics,_

_And never feel alone,_

_For I will always be by your side._

"_Don't shed a tear_

_No need to feel afraid_

_Lead your spark to the stars above_

_And dream away_

_Until the dawn's rising,_

_Remember that you are always loved_."

Optimus glanced down and saw Amira fast asleep in his arms; he smiled warmly as he slowly lifted her from his lap and laid her back down on the bed, making sure she was in a comfortable position. He leaned forward, gently kissed the top of her helm and said softly, "Rest well...my child." Then he got up stealthily exited his private quarters.

But as he stood in the doorway of his bunker, he stopped. Now his mind, which had before told him to do his job as a leader, was telling him to stay with the child. He had no idea what to do now.

"Hey, Prime." A voice interrupted Optimus of his thoughts, and he looked up to see a large green Autobot approaching him.

"Good evening, Bulkhead," Optimus said. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, I'm turning in for the night," replied the former Wrecker. "And I heard you got a kid now. How's that going so far, being a father and all that?"

Optimus let out a nervous chuckle. "I am managing. So far it is easier than I thought it would be."

"How's the kid now?"

"She is resting as we speak..."

Bulkhead looked at him odd. "Is something wrong, sir?"

Optimus knew he couldn't lie to one of his own and sighed. "I do not know what to do at this point. My mind wants me to do my part as leader of the Autobots...but my spark tells me to stay and look after Amira for the night."

"That's easy. Follow your spark," said Bulk. "The guys will understand. They all know you have another big responsibility to handle. Good night, sir."

"Good night, Bulkhead," Prime said as the green Autobot headed off for his bunker. Optimus sighed and looked back into his quarters and saw Amira still fast asleep. Something did worry him; if he were to go, what if she woke up and he still hadn't returned? The poor thing would panic, and he couldn't have that.

He then made up his mind, and followed his comrade's advice. He returned to his private quarters after shutting the door to his bunker, slowly and silently laid down on the other side of the bed, and closed his optics as he wrapped an arm around his greatest creation...

* * *

"You've almost got it, Amira," Optimus said. He was knelt on the other side of the training room as he watched Amira take one tiny step at a time. She was only a few yard from him; each step was wobbly and crooked, but she was getting better. This was their fourth walking practice that morning. The previous three she slowly progressed through. The first round, Amira tripped every three steps she took, The second round, she wobbled much but tripped a little less. And the third, she only tripped once. Now on the fourth, she hadn't tripped yet, and she was getting better with her balance.

"I'm all wobbly, Daddy," Amira whined. "My legs hurt."

"After this we will take a break," said Prime. "Come on, you're almost there."

Amira nodded while she kept an eye on her feet as she put one in front of the other, wondering why she still wasn't functioning right. She realized then she wasn't completely bending her legs, and her feet weren't pointed all the way in the right direction. She fixed that, and she stood a little taller; she no longer felt that she needed to hold out her arms for balance. Then she took a step, and she didn't wobble. She took another and still didn't wobble.

"There you go," Optimus smiled. After a few more steps, Amira seemed to tire and she fell to her knees with a moan, complaining that her legs ached. He knelt down and picked her up as he said, "I am sure after a break, you will learn to walk perfectly."

"And then I'll learn to run real fast?"

"Faster than anyone has ever seen."

"Yay!" Amira cheered. Optimus laughed and nuzzled her helm.

"Optimus!" Prime looked up to see a red Autobot running into the training hall towards him and Amira.

"What is it, Ironhide?" he asked as he sat Amira back on the floor

"There's just been a security breech," exclaimed the red Autobot. "The Cons are approaching the secret base!"

"The Decepticons?" Amira asked, glancing up at Prime.

Optimus didn't answer, he just furrowed his mechanical brows and gave a nod. "Thanks for notifying me, Ironhide. I'll follow you out." Ironhide bowed his head in a nod and took off out of the training room. The Prime then turned towards the little Autobot. "Amira, I want you to stay in here so I know where you are."

"No! I wanna go with you," Amira whined, grabbing his servo.

"I'm only heading upstairs. I will not go far," Prime informed her.

"I wanna come! Please, Daddy! I don't wanna be by myself!"

Optimus sighed and gripped her hand. "I promise, I will be right back. Now, stay in here." Then he raced out of the room, trying his best to ignore Amira's desperate cries. He followed Ironhide towards one of the super-computers.

"Teletraan-4 has picked up a Decepticon warship heading in this direction," explained Ironhide, "and with the power we're giving off through the computer, they may locate our secret base!"

"Right," Optimus said, then he turned towards the rest of the team. "Autobots, prepare for shutdown! We cannot have Megatron track us and locate our base! Shutdown all equipment that may give off a signal!"

"But Prime, the shutdown could erase all the data that we've collected," said a blue and orange-red Autobot.

"I understand that, Ultra Magnus, but is it worth risking another brutal attack with the Decepticons, with our Energon supply and firepower at a critical level?"

"...I-I guess, not sir. Right then. Shut it all down!"

The Autobots did as commanded, powering down all of the Teletraan computers and hologram maps, including most of the lights. The hum of the computers died down to light hisses as they went offline, and the only lights that kept the secret bunker lit were from glowing buttons on the control panel and the blue optics of every Autobot.

Something suddenly struck Prime: if those buttons were the only lights on in the whole base... "Amira..." he whispered. He turned towards Ultra Magnus and commanded, "Keep an eye on that warship, see if it unleashes any signs of threat for an attack," then he headed straight for the training room. Once he got there he heard light crying, and he felt his spark aching. Using his own optics as a light to guide him, he followed the crying to see Amira in a corner of the training room, her face hidden in her knee caps but it glowed with Energon tears. "A-Amira," he said gently.

The child looked up and her optics were full of fright until they met his. "D-Daddy..." she whimpered and slowly stood up then gradually made her way towards him. She was so compelled by fear she didn't realize she was walking perfectly towards him. Longing more and more to be in Optimus's arms, she picked up her pace and bounced as she sped-walked to him, throwing herself into his chest and sobbing. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"There, there, little one," he gently shushed her. "It's alright. I am here." He held her close as he rocked from side to side. "I am here, now."

"You...You p-pro-omised..y-you'd b-be right back," Amira hiccupped.

Optimus sighed as the little Autobot sobbed in the crook of his neck and lowered his optics sadly. "I know...I know I did, and I am sorry. I am sorry, my child."

"Optimus," said the Autobot named Ultra Magnus, "the Cons are flying right over us and don't seem to detect us! I don't think there will be another battle today. Requesting permission to power back up the base?"

Optimus then felt even sorrier. Realizing that there never was a threat to begin with because of the lack of detection from the shutdown, he felt there was no reason to leave Amira in the training room. He hugged the little Autobot close and exited the training room, looking up to Ultra Magnus. "Permission granted, commander." Not long after Prime gave the command, the lights flickered back on. The humming of the Teletraan computers grew louder and louder, the hologram tables powered up again, and the entire bunker flooded with light once more.

"Ahh, good news," said Magnus, "none of our data has been lost."

Optimus glanced down at the little Autobot in his arms and saw she was still in tears and whimpering. Had the dark frightened her that much? He sighed, sensing this would be a problem if she were to encounter and investigate in a lightless area on the battlefield. But he had to make her smile. "It's alright, Amira. See? The lights are back on. No more darkness." Amira just sniffled and wiped her optics while barely nodding her head. He sadly smiled and nuzzled her, when something suddenly occurred to him. "Amira...you ran to me."

Amira looked up at him confused. "W-What?"

"You..._ran_ to me...in the training room," Optimus repeated, a smile growing in his metallic face. He placed her on the ground, walked a few yards from her and knelt down. "Try it again."

Amira had a worried look on her face. "But Daddy, what if I fall?"

"I will catch you, I promise," he told her. "You ran to me before, even if it was compelled by fear, and I believe you can do it again." Amira nodded slowly and took in a deep breath; the first thing she noticed was that she didn't wobble where she stood, neither when she took her first few steps. A faint smile grew on her face as she quickened her pace a little, bouncing up and down instead of steadily walking, until she was light on her feet and zooming towards Optimus. Once she was close enough, he scooped her up and spun her around while they laughed. "I knew you could do it," he said as he held her close to his spark.

Amira giggled and hugged around his neck, and she saw Bumblebee up on the second floor. "Bumblebee!" she cried up to him, and he glanced down at her waving while giving off happy clicks. "Lookie! I can walk and run real fast!" Prime sat her down and she took off, prancing in circles and twirling on her toes. Bee pumped his fist and applauded for her, and he headed off towards the infirmary and found the medic.

"What is it, Bumblebee? I'm busy here," Ratchet grumbled while tending to a patient.

'Come look! Amira's running and twirling!' Bee bleeped eagerly.

Ratchet looked at him funny and surprised. "Amira is _running_? Huh...I'll come see when I'm done tending to Jazz here."

'Okay,' Bee said and ran off to watch Amira run.

Ratchet secretly smiled to himself. _She is running...Amazing..._

* * *

"I don't wanna, Daddy!" Amira whined that late afternoon.

"I understand you may not feel comfortable being around other recruits," Prime said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "but you must begin weapon's training as soon as possible, and there's no better time than now."

"But what if I miss the target and they all laugh at me?" she said with a sniff.

Optimus smiled. "They will not laugh at you, little one. I wouldn't allow that. Now, let us go." He took her servo and led her out of their private quarters down towards the training room. "Do not be nervous, Amira. I will guide you through it, step by step."

"You'll be teaching me?"

"Of course. I figured you wouldn't want to be taught by someone you haven't met yet," Prime said. They reached the bottom of a flight of stairs and approached the training room. Through the laser-proof glass windows, Amira could see Autobots much older than her firing at targets, practicing on Decepticon dummies, and some were training in a virtual reality corner with holographic images of Decepticons. She saw no Autobot even close to her size and age and she grew nervous.

But the nervousness slightly faded when she saw a familiar face as they entered the training facility. "Bumblebee!" The yellow Autobot scout turned at the call of his name and saw Prime and Amira entering the room. He bleeped excitedly and raced towards them. Amira let go of Optimus's hand and let Bee swoop her up. "You're training here, too?!" she asked eagerly and Bumblebee nodded.

"And he is also being trained under my watch, as well as the rest of the class. Today is my day to train the recruits," said Prime.

Amira gasped happily. "Yay! Bee and I will train together!"

Prime chuckled as he made his way to the front of the training room, standing proud and tall like a just Autobot leader would, wearing a most serious expression. "Welcome all, to today's training exercise."

The other Autobots in the room stood tall in a military manner. "Good evening, Master Prime," they all said in unison. Optimus gave a nod and they at-eased.

" 'Master Prime'?" Amira whispered.

'As students, we always call our teachers Master,' explained Bumblebee. 'By saying this, it shows we give respect.'

"Will I have to say it, too?"

'Well, since your Master Prime's daughter, I think he'll make an exception.'

"For today," said Prime to the students, "we will continue with the basics: mastering firearms, stealth attack, using the virtual reality practice room, and sparring with one another. We will divide up into four teams for each section, and each team with have four members. You must all work as a team, support one another, and no discrimination." Then he turned towards Amira and slightly smiled. "And allow me to introduce our newest, and youngest, recruit...Amira."

All the Autobots saw the tiny Autobot girl, and their optics lit up in confusion and surprise. Some murmured to others and some shook their heads secretly, but they all said politely in a unison fashion, "Welcome, Amira." The tiny bot just smiled and shyly waved.

"Now," said Optimus and the Autobots turned to face him again, "divide up into squadrons of four and choose a practice area. When I give the alarm, you will move to another station. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Prime," said the Autobots.

"Yes, Daddy!" Amira chirped, making Optimus faintly smile and the Autobots groan and gasp softly.

"Begin!" Prime announced, and the Autobot trainees gathered up into four groups of four. He noticed that only one Autobot, Blurr, had included himself with Bumblebee and Amira, and the others were in full groups. Optimus sighed and he approached their group. "I guess, for today, I will be joining you in training."

"OhwowReallyreallyPrimeThatisamazingGuyslookOptimusPrimeisinourgroupThisistotallyawesome!" Blurr exclaimed, and all the other Autobot trainees looked at him odd then resumed their training.

'Ah, but Master Prime, you don't need training,' Bee clicked. 'You're the best of the best.'

"I appreciate the compliment, Bumblebee," said Optimus as he glanced down and rested a servo on Amira's helm, "but it is my responsibility that I train Amira to use her abilities and her powers. And seeing you only have three, I thought I could be the filler-in."

"Yay!" Amira cheered and hugged Prime's leg.

Optimus smiled and shook her off gently. "Now, seeing the other three groups have occupied the virtual reality practice, the sparring and stealth attack, we will practice firearms."

'My favorite,' Bumblebee clicked happily.

"OhyesohyesohyesIlovepracticingmyweaponsbecauseithelpsmegetgreataimandwithgreataimIcanwipeoutDecepticonsandwhenIwipeoutDecepticonsthatmeanstherearelesstodealwithandwhentherearelesstodealwith—" Blurr spoke.

"Easy, Blurr," said Optimus, then he led Blurr, Bumblebee and Lily over to one portion of the training facility. Suddenly large targets and Decepticon dummies appeared from the walls and out of the floor and ceiling. "You must strike as close as you can to the mark as possible."

"Daddy," Amira peeped, "how do I activate my weapon?"

"Just think it, and it will come."

"Okay." Amira concentrated as hard as she could; her lower servos shifted and morphed into blaster cannons, and she accidentally fired. A laser blast shot from one of her firearms and struck the wall, completely missing the target and denting the wall. "...Oops."

Prime chuckled and patted her helm. "It's alright, Amira. That is why we practice. Bumblebee, Blurr and I will demonstrate for you." Amira nodded and backed up a little. The Autobots then morphed their servos into laser cannons, charged them up and fired perfectly on the mark. When the target was struck, it was replaced with a new one in a different place; and when a dummy was fired at, it was dropped into the floor and it would appear somewhere else. Amira watched in awe as Optimus, Bee and Blurr fired perfectly. Then, all the targets reset themselves. Optimus shifted the firearms back into his servos and turned towards Amira. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," she said shyly.

"It's alright to be nervous, young one," he told her. "The first attempt in maintaining control in your fire power is always tricky, even for me when I first became a Prime, believe it or not. All you have to do is feel when your power is charged up enough, and when it is, fire. And be sure to aim on target. Understood?"

"Yes, Daddy," Amira beamed a smile. She searched around the area for a good enough target and chose the one on the ceiling. She backed up a little further and aimed her servo up at the mark. She felt a violent pulse suddenly surge from her spark, down her arm and blasted out of the weapon, missing the target. The force was powerful enough to knock Amira on her aft, automatically shifting her firearms back into regular servos; and her keen sense of hearing with her sound processors picked up snickering coming from the opposite side of the training facility. She just sat there, hanging her helm as Energon tears prepared to overflow her optics.

Prime knelt down and rest a loving hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Amira," he assured her again. "The first try isn't always perfect."

The tiny Autobot sniffed and looked up at him with large tears in her optics. "But what if I-I mess up again?" she whimpered.

"Although that is likely to happen," Prime explained, "it's up to you to not allow yourself to make the same mistake. That is why we learn from them. If you mess up, that doesn't mean you quit, it just means that you have to keep trying. And if you keep trying, I know you will get it."

"Really?" Amira squeaked.

"Really," Optimus smiled as he stroked his digit under her optics to wipe away the tears.

'It's okay if you mess up, Amira,' Bee chirped. 'I wasn't the best at aiming and firing when I was a beginner in the war, but after a while of practicing, I got better. And I know you will, too. You can do it.'

"YeahyeahMasterPrimeandBumblebeearerightAmirayoucandoitIknowyoucanIreallydoyoujustneedtokeeppracticingPracticemakesperfect," said Blurr.

Amira smiled at them both and got to her feet. She morphed one servo only into a blaster cannon and aimed it right on the mark at the ceiling. Slowly, she forced a small enough surge from her spark to load up her cannon, then she waited. She allowed the sound of high-pitched humming to rev and vibrate in her blaster for a moment, then she told herself to fire. It struck the mark perfectly. Amira blinked her optics a little, not actually believing what happened at first, then gasped as a grin grew on her metallic face. Another target appeared, and she fired at it, right on the mark. This continued on constantly; a target would appear out of the wall, floor or ceiling and Amira would suddenly strike perfectly on the mark. When the practice was over, she danced and giggled on her toes. "I did it, I did it! Did you see me, Daddy?! I did it!"

Optimus chuckled joyously as he picked her up and held her in a hug. "I knew you would. You see? All it took was practice, and some support from friends."

"ThatwasamazingtrulyamazingI'veneverseenanythinglikeitI'veneverseenanAutobotatsuchayoungagemastertargetpracticesoeasilythatistrulyincredibleandcongratulationsAmira," Blurr said.

'Yeah, way to go!' Bumblebee clicked cheerfully.

"What is the next training exercise, Daddy?" Amira asked.

"You shall see," Prime said. "But the other squadrons are still having their turns. So in the mean time, let us help you practice some of your other abilities."

"Like what?"

"Hovering, for example."

"I can do that?"

"Of course. I don't know how exactly, but I know you can. Just tell yourself you want to hover, and something it bound to happen."

"Okay, Daddy." Amira closed her optics and concentrated, traveling as deep into herself as she could. Then, she felt something appear under her feet. She opened her optics, glanced down, and she saw that a board of the same color as her armor under her feet. She tried lifting her front foot, but the metallic board rose with it, and she swayed and rose up a little. Then Amira realized the board wasn't touching the ground, but gently hovering over it by a few inches. "Whoa..."

'A hover-board!' Bee clicked excitedly. 'I never knew an Autobot could have one!'

"NeitherdidIIhadnoideaWowthatmakesAmirareallyspecialtohavesomanythingsthatanAutobotcan'tdoWownowIwantahoverbordHowdidsheevengetoneMasterPrimeHuhHuhHowHowHow?" Blurr asked.

"I had specifically requested Alpha Trion to give her these unique abilities," Optimus explained while he helped Amira balance on the hover-board. "It appears Decepticons know our every move, every strategy, every technique lately. But if he add in a soldier they have never come across before and have no idea on how to defend themselves, they don't stand a chance."

"Daddy, how do I fly?" Amira asked.

Optimus chuckled. "That is something you must figure out on your own, little one. I do not entirely know how your system functions."

Amira sighed. "Okay." She then closed hr optics and concentrated, traveling deep into herself just like before. Then the sound of high-pitched humming rang in her sound processors. She opened her optics and turned to the source of the sound. Looking down, she saw bright-blue flames erupt from the funnels of her board. "I got it working!" she cheered. "...Now how do I get it to go?"

"I think I can help with that," said Optimus and he gave her a gentle push.

Amira began riding on her board across their section of the training hall, gently gliding over the floor. She wobbles a little, but with her feet firmly in the position they were in, all she had to do was keep her upper body in the right place. However, she suddenly tipped back, and the nose of her board rose up, and she sky-rocketed to the ceiling. "Daddy!" she wailed.

"Amira!" Optimus exclaimed.

'Oh, no!' Bee cried.

"Ohshe'sgoingstraightfortheceilingandthenshe'llheadintotheskyandthenintodeepspaceOhwhatdowedowhatdowedowhatdowedo?!" Blurr panicked a little.

"Amira," Optimus called up to her, "tip your board down! You'll come back down to us!"

"O-Okay," she whimpered and did as her father commanded. But she tipped her board too quickly and she zoomed towards the floor screaming. She pulled her legs inward and her board hovered forward, still high in the air. Amira was now out of position, and she began spiraling out of control towards the other groups. The Autobots all exclaimed and dove to the floor, ducking. "Daddy I can't stop it!" Amira cried as her board began traveling towards her little squadron.

Optimus eyed her position carefully and stepped into her path. Once she was close enough, he jumped up and wrapped his servos around her body as she was going up towards the ceiling again, and planted his feet firmly into the floor. The force of the rocket firing from her board was pulling him violently, but he withstood it. "Tell yourself to stop, Amira!" he shouted over the rocket.

Amira whimpered and wept; she was in such a fright she almost didn't understand what Prime was saying, but she mentally told herself to stop. She suddenly felt the power rushing through her calm down, the sound of the rocket faded, her board disappeared, and she settled in Prime's arms. "D-Daddy..." she whimpered and stirred in his arms.

"It's alright, Amira. You're safe now," he shushed her gently. He looked about the other Autobots, apologized for the interruption and told them to resume their training until he commanded it was time for them to swap exercises. He then walked back over to Bumblebee and Blurr, but he stopped immediately in his tracks as a violent, stinging pain surged through his body, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Daddy!" Amira cried.

'Master Prime!' the scout exclaimed as he and Blurr rushed over. Once again the Autobots had their focus taken off of training and over to see what had happened. They were shocked to see Optimus's upper legs nearly tarred and melted with gaping holes, revealing his Cybertronian skin underneath. Bumblebee examined Prime's legs carefully while Blurr helped him lay down, but every light touch was painful to the Prime. 'It must've been when you were holding onto Amira. The blasters were right up against your legs, perhaps.'

Amira was shocked. "I...I did this?" She then burst into tears and sobbed as she laid her helm on his chest, hugging him the best she could. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Daddy! I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!"

Optimus winced, trying to block out the pain and wrapped an arm over her. "It's...alright, Amira. It wasn't your fault."

"B-But," Amira whimpered as she wiped the large Energon tears off of her face, "but I h-hurt you..."

"Not deliberately," Optimus laughed then yelped in pain.

'Sorry, sir,' said Bee. 'Blurr, go and fetch Ratchet, now!'

"I'monitI'llgoSeewatchmeflytotherescue!" Blurr said and took off out of the training room.

Amira watched in awe as Blurr fled. "Wow...he ran real fast...Daddy, will I run that fast one day? Like you said?"

Optimus smiled through the pain. "With training...you will surpass all of us...my Amira..."

Optimus mentally frowned as he heard the Autobots on the other side of the hall, saying things like, "That child is out of control." "Why would Prime have Alpha Trion create someone like her?" "She's a threat, maybe to all of us." "Look what she did to his legs. If he never walks again, I'll..." The voices trailed as the pain began to numb.

Ratchet had arrived and injected a vile into his system. Prime's vision blurred and voices sounded fuzzy and mumbled; soon he couldn't hear their voices at all and couldn't clearly see their mouths moving. The last thing he saw before his optics began closing on their own was the fearful look on his daughter's face, then he succumbed to the darkness...

* * *

The Nemesis reeked, literally, of evil. The warship was filled with Energon-thirsty Decepticons, ready to gash and tear the accursed Autobots to shreds, longing to bathe in their leaking Energon in hopes of winning the centuries-long civil war. They gladly did their leader, Lord Megatron's bidding, for they shared the same want to end the Autobots' existence, but none more do they want dead than the Autobot commander, Optimus Prime.

But none of them wanted him dead most than Megatron.

Megatron could easily recall the day his hatred for Prime began; it was back before he was even named Megatron. In the past, at the peak of Cybertron's Golden Age, he went by Megatronus, a well-known Gladiator named after one of the beloved Cybertronian gods. As much as he adored being a Gladiator, he wanted bigger things: he wanted to lead, control everything. He wanted to be a Prime. In the past, he had briefly become acquaintance with a clerk by the name of Orion Pax, who would follow him around, ask him questions and give his opinion on the outlooks of life on Cybertron. Outside he found the kid annoying, but inside, there was something special he sensed within this Orion Pax.

But his clandestine admiration had completely vanished not long after that. It was when Megatronus had gone to the Council and requested permission to become a Prime. He gave his ideas to hem on how if he were leader, he would end the war in short time. He explained how he would train his armies to slay all enemies in their paths—and it was then the Council saw Megatronus's true colors, and dismissed his request. However, the Council was moved by the words of the young clerk, that he didn't believe in violence and that all must be done in order to bring peace and balance to their world. It was there and then they knew this clerk was the one destined to become the next Prime, and the Matrix of Leadership and knowledge of the Primes was bestowed upon him, and he became Optimus Prime.

That clerk was granted all that Megatronus had wanted. Infuriated, he didn't question himself and switched sides from Autobot, to the Decepticon leader, and changed his name to only Megatron. He still intended to move forth with his plan—only instead of using it to end the war and bring peace to the planet, he would end the war and enslave all those who survived. And his first target, no matter what, would be Prime. He vowed to extinguish his spark with his bare, clawed hands and watch the life slip from Optimus's optics, and he would discover every one of his weaknesses, if any. He wouldn't rest until Optimus laid dead at his feet.

Starscream, Megatron's second-in-command, approached his leader in the hanger, kneeling down on one knee to show respect. "My Lord," he said, "Soundwave has discovered something regarding Optimus Prime."

"Oh, really," said Megatron in his deep, raspy tone as he turned towards his lean, heeled second-in-command, "and what might that be, Starscream?"

Starscream gazed up at his master with a sneering grin. "Why don't I play it for you, Master?"

Soundwave then entered the hanger, and an audio collected began to play. There were two voices; they were a bit rough, but clear enough for Megatron's keen hearing. One of them he recognized right away.

'_No! I wanna go with you!_'

'_I'm only heading upstairs. I will not go far._'

'_I wanna come! Please, Daddy! I don't wanna be by myself!_'

The recording ended. Megatron's red optics were wide with surprise, then they scrunched up in a glare, along with a sinister grin as a dark chuckle escaped his mouth. " 'Daddy'," he mocked the small child's voice from the recording. "It seems Optimus Prime has become a father. Well," he turned towards his second-in-command, Soundwave, and the army of Decepticons awaiting his next command in the back, "we certainly can't allow that, can we?"


	6. His Greatest Creation, 2

**His Greatest Creation—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter 4, part two

"Can I go see him now?" Amira begged.

"For the seventh time, no, Amira," Ratchet groaned, irritated. "Optimus needs to rest, alone. He will not be seeing any visitors for awhile until I say so."

"But he's my daddy! I gotta see him! Please, Uncle Ratchet!"

"I said _no_, Amira! Look, go play with Bumblebee or something, just quit nagging me and let me work!" the medic snapped at her, then let out a frustrated sigh and tried to focus on his work. But he stopped again at the sound of whining and whimpering, and he looked to see Amira hanging her helm while wiping her optics; her shoulders bobbed up and down, her chasse trembled with each sob, large droplets of Energon flowed down her servos from her optics.

Ratchet sighed heavily, pressing his hand over his face while shaking his head, muttering a curse in Cybertronian language. Then he bent down to Amira's height and placed a hand on her shoulder, and spoke as friendly as possible. "Amira, I know you want to see him, but right now, Optimus needs time to recuperate. I know you didn't intend to nearly melt his legs off, but for now, let's let him rest. Alright?"

Amira sniffled and wiped her optics while her bottom lip quivered adorably. "O-Okay, Uncle Ratchet," she squeaked. Ratchet wore a forced smile and patted her on her helm, then he made his way down the hall and resumed examining other patients. Amira watched him turn the corner before racing towards infirmary room P01. She quickly opened the door by pressing in a code she had memorized, snuck in and closed it behind her, and she crept as quietly as possible to Optimus's bedside.

He looked so peaceful, completely out cold from the stasis medicine. Amira watched his chest rise and fall in an even fashion. The room was quiet, aside from the beeping of the computer scanning Optimus's vitals. Amira suddenly had the urge to check them, and she did. Spark-rate looked normal, so were his Energon readings and brainwave activity. She then looked at his upper legs. She was surprised; they almost appeared like nothing ever happened. She wanted to thank Ratchet for his amazing medical expertise, but she knew if he found her in the room, he'd blow a circuit. All she wanted was to see how he was doing, but now she didn't want to leave him at all. She reached up to the side of the bed and lightly clutched his large hand. She felt him clutch back. She gasped a little but didn't pull away, and she noticed Optimus slowly opening his optics with a groan.

Optimus allowed his vision to readjust before looking around. He no longer felt any severe burns in his upper legs, only light aches in his thighs because he hadn't moved them in a while. He was worried he couldn't move them at all. He tried and nothing happened. Longing to put his attention on something else, he remembered the tiny hand on his and looked to its owner with a smile. "Hello," he said weakly.

Amira smiled. "Hello, Daddy. Are...Are you okay now?"

Optimus sighed, wanting to say he was just fine, but he knew he couldn't lie to her. "Nothing hurts, but I'm having difficulty in moving my legs at the moment. I'm sure it's just a temporary drawback."

Amira was happy to know that her father wasn't in anymore critical damage, but her spark was still filled with guilt. "I'm sorry I did this to you."

"Amira, I told you it wasn't your fault. You didn't do it deliberately," Prime said. "You are still new to using your unique abilities, and it will take time to maintain control."

"I know, but...I don't wanna hurt you again, Daddy," Amira said barely above a whisper, on the verge of tears again.

Optimus wore a sad smile as he stroked Amira's helm. She then reached up to him; Optimus remembered from the night he sang to her and lifted her up onto his lap. He sat up with her and held her close under one servo. "Amira...you could never hurt me now than the pain I've dealt with in the past...nothing you could ever do to me can ever top the things I've experienced. I hope to never feel pain like that again...and I will protect you from that same pain." Amira whined a sigh and wiped her optics with a sniff. Optimus sadly frowned; he didn't like seeing her so upset. His spark nearly shattered at when she looked at him, so full of concern and fear, before he went into temporal stasis from the medicine Ratchet injected to numb the pain. But it pained him a little to see the little Autobot he held so close to him look so spark-broken. But then he smiled a little once an idea came to him...

"And how are you doing, Cliffjumper?" Ratchet asked his next patient as he entered and slid the door closed.

The named red Autobot groaned a little as he tried to sit up. "I would be A-OK, Doc," he said with a bit of disgust and annoyance in his tone, "if that little Autobot brat hadn't spiraled out of control on her...whacky board and struck me in the shoulder, nearly tearing it off! That kid needs to learn to control herself or else there will be some serious problems."

Ratchet sighed as he examined Cliffjumper's upper servo. "I know what you mean," he said, "but Amira is still new to everything, even her own abilities. Not to mention she's only a child."

"Exactly," Cliffjumper sighed harshly. "I honestly don't know what Prime was thinking when he had Alpha Trion roll her off the assembly line. Why would he create a fragging _kid_?"

"Well, I am sure Optimus has his reasons," the medic said. "Besides, we all know what he's been through with Elita-1 and everything."

Cliffjumper sighed pitifully. "Yeah, I know. Poor guy...But still...why a kid?"

"Like I said. He has his reasons." Then he roughly shoved Cliffjumper's shoulder forward, and the Autobot yelled in pain for a second then sighed pleasantly. "Now, I'll be back to check on you later." He left Cliffjumper's room and headed for Optimus's. All of the doors were sound-proof, so they had to communicate through COM-links. Ratchet pressed the button on the voice box and spoke into it. "Optimus, I am entering now." He punched in a code to the door switch and it slid open, he entered then it closed behind him. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.

There were Optimus Prime and Amira in the bed together; Optimus held the child tightly in one servo and wiggled his digits into a vulnerable section of her armor, and Amira was in a frantic fit of squeaky giggles. "That feels funny, Daddy! Stop it!" she exclaimed between laughs and squeals.

"Only if you promise to be happy," Optimus said in a playful threatening tone.

Amira continued squirming and giggling until she couldn't take much more. "Okay, okay, Daddy I will! I'll be happy!"

"Very well," said Optimus and he ceased wiggling his fingers; he laughed when Amira laid by his side gasping for breath while giggling, then he turned towards the shocked medic. "Oh, Ratchet. I didn't even know you entered."

Ratchet seemed surprised and dumbfounded at what he just witnessed. "Optimus...what...what were you just doing?"

Optimus looked confused at him but smiled. "I was merely playing with Amira. Is there a problem?"

The medic narrowed his optics at the girl. "Only that I see her in the room, after I specifically told her she is not allowed to visit you until I say so." Ratchet's words made Amira flinch a little and she slightly cowered.

Optimus's smile slowly began to fade. "And why is my daughter not allowed to visit me?"

"B-Because...you need rest," Ratchet explained, "and wouldn't you say it's impossible to if you have visitors?"

"For some, but it depends on the visitor," said Optimus. Then he added, "Ratchet, from now on I would like Amira to have full permission to visit me as long as I am in the infirmary."

"I...B-But...Yes, sir," Ratchet sighed, defeated. "And speaking of how long you will have to sit in the infirmary, it may be a day or two."

"Why?" Amira asked.

"Well, although your armor and under-skin have healed completely, it will take time for your legs to be usable. You can move them after a while, but they haven't reached full strength to where you can walk."

"So, what you are saying, Ratchet, is that I am unable to teach the recruits for the next day or so," Prime said.

"Unfortunately," Ratchet sighed.

"No!" Amira said, clinging to Optimus. "I don't want another teacher! I want you, Daddy!"

"Do not worry, Amira," Optimus assured her. "I will pick the substitute myself, and I will pick someone I trust, and someone who has well-enough experience. You will be fine." Amira looked ready to cry again, and he threateningly held up a digit and wiggled it. "Remember what we agreed."

Amira gasped, wiped her optics and forced a beaming smile. Her grin slowly faded as she said, "But I don't want another teacher. I don't think anyone could be better than you, Daddy."

"I'll have to agree with her on that, Prime," said Ratchet. "Unfortunately, until you have complete function in your legs to walk, you must stay in the infirmary."

"I understand, Ratchet," Optimus gave his helm a nod. Then he looked to Lily and stroked the side of her helm. "You shall resume training in the morning, little one, and you will have a temporary teacher. Alright?" Amira nodded and hugged the hand on her helm tightly.

"Alright," said Ratchet, "it's nearly lights-out time. You must rest, Optimus. Shall I escort Amira to your bunker?"

Amira slightly whined and settled down in Prime's hospital bed. Optimus lightly chuckled as he said to the medic, "I guess she wants to stay here."

Ratchet sighed, lowering his gaze. "As long as she doesn't prevent you from getting the rest you need, so be it. I'll check on you in the morning, sir." Then, he exited the room.

Optimus then laid himself down and looked to the Autobot child, who was already fast asleep under his servo. He smiled, yawned a little and closed his optics, entering recharge with a smile...

The substitute for Optimus Prime was Ultra Magnus. Amira only knew him from that one moment when the Decepticon warship was flying too close to the secret bunker. Aside from that, Magnus was a complete stranger to her. Amira was just thankful that Bumblebee and the speed-talking Blurr would still be there to keep her company. In the training room, she noticed one red Autobot with horns on the sides of his helm glaring at her. She didn't know why he looked at her that way, but it made her feel unwelcome. She then longed for Optimus more than ever.

Bumblebee noticed Amira twiddling her digits nervously while staring at the floor. He could sense the worry and anxiety within her. He understood she was nervous; without Prime to guide her, she would be afraid to do exactly as she's told. And all the other Autobots knew Ultra Magnus, being Optimus's first lieutenant, was as strict as a straight line, very orderly, and feels that things should be done on the dot. Bee had a deep feeling within his fuel tanks that would be a problem with Amira.

He bent down to her height, nudged her playfully, and chirped friendly, 'Don't worry, Amira. Ultra Magnus may be a bit rough around the edges, but he is a good guy. He's almost as good a teacher as Master Prime.' Amira nodded sullenly but kept her optics to the floor. Bumblebee could only watch her sulk and his own optics saddened.

"Straighten up, Autobots!" Ultra Magnus ordered from the front of the training facility, and the Autobots stood straight and tall in a military fashion. However, he saw the littlest Autobot looking around with a confused look on her face. "Little lady," his voice boomed to her, making her jump, "I expect you to straighten up when I tell you to." Amira flushed under her optics and she appeared ready to cry; Magnus sighed a little irritated, shaking his head and closing his optics. Then Bumblebee explained to Amira what 'straightening up' meant, and he helped her to stand in the right position. Once she was set, he continued. "Men...and little lady, today we will begin testing our physical abilities, such as strength, speed, stealth, how to use our senses, and agility. We will go up against each other, discover our strengths, our weaknesses, and what makes us tick." The other Autobots murmured excitedly to one another while Amira fretted to herself where she stood in front of Bumblebee. "I shall assign you your partners for the first exercise," Ultra Magnus announced. Amira gasped to herself; she feared she would be partnered with some Autobot she hadn't met. She whimpered a little as she clung tightly to Bumblebee.

Then Ultra Magnus walked around row by row, selecting two Autobots to partner up, train together and spar together. He partnered Bumblebee with an Autobot named Prowl and Amira was stuck with the teacher since there was an odd number of trainees in the room. 'Ultra Magnus, sir,' Bumblebee said in a respecting tone towards the lieutenant, 'I-I request to be partners with Amira...please?'

"Request denied, soldier," Ultra Magnus said firmly. "The assignment stays as I put it."

'But she's more comfortable around me,' Bee tried to persuade further. 'She's shy around others but not around me, nor Blurr.'

"I say again," the substitute repeated loud and clear, "the assignment stays as I put it. Understood, soldier?"

Bee trembled a little under the boom of Magnus's voice and the glare in his deep-blue optics, and, defeated, he stood back and hung his helm. 'Y-Yes, sir,' he buzzed sadly.

"Good. Now," he said as he turned towards Amira and began to approach her.

"No!" she cried. Then she dashed past him and clung to the scout's leg. "I don't want you! I want Bee!"

Bumblebee could feel Ultra Magnus's deep, impatient optics piercing through him. '...A-Amira, it's alright,' he beeped as kindly as he could without shaking, slowly shrinking under all the optics fixed on him and the sobbing Autobot child on his leg. 'Remember what I said? Magnus is a good guy. And Optimus chose him to be the sub for today because he trusts him. Remember? Just give him a chance. Okay?'

Amira whimpered and wiped her optics. Bee then led her back to Ultra Magnus, who held fast to the little one by her shoulder. Then he bent down to her height and spoke directly into her sound-processor, "You will behave well while I am teaching. There will be no excuses. And there will be respect. If you are to be an Autobot, you must act like one. Understood?" Amira choked on a whimper and nodded quickly. "I can't hear you."

"U-Understood," Amira repeated.

"Understood, 'sir'," Magnus said, and she rephrased herself. He nodded in approval and faced the paired Autobot teams. "Our training will begin with stealth. One partner must close his or her eyes while the other must try to sneak up on him or her and attack without making a sound. Sounds simple, right?" He revealed a remote from behind his back and pressed a green button. The floor suddenly slid apart, revealing a shiny, reflective metal sheet. "This is Cybertronium. One of the most precious metals known on Cybertron. Known for its excellence of reflecting even the dimmest lights, and causing even the smallest of objects that land upon it to create an echo loud enough to fill a cave. For example." Pinched tightly between his digits was the smallest fragment of metal any bot had ever seen. He dropped it, and the second it touched the floor, an echo of the metals clanging together rang throughout the entire training hall; and every Autobot heard it. "Everyone know what to do?"

"Yes, Ultra Magnus, sir," the Autobots said.

Ultra Magnus looked down to Amira, who was fidgeting with her digits. He cleared his throat, she jumped a little and looked up at him innocently. He gave her a look that she didn't understand at first, then it dawned on her on what he was trying to tell her. She straightened up and held her hand up to her fore-helm and said loudly, "Yes, sir!" She then found the act amusing and giggled while Magnus rolled his optics and sighed.

"Let us begin," Ultra Magnus announced and the teams spread out across the floor of Cybertronium, deep echoes blaring with each footstep. One partner of each pair had their back turned while the other crept up as silently as they could. Magnus turned to Amira, who was focused on Bumblebee and his partner Prowl, and lightly tapped the tip of his foot on the floor. The echo that followed made the Autobot child gasp and jump, while the substitute was unfazed. "Pay attention," he demanded, and Amira hung her head innocently. He rolled his optics a second time and asked her, "Do you understand on what you need to do?"

"Yes," she replied sheepishly.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, start off exactly ten paces away from my position." Amira took ten large steps away from where Ultra Magnus stood. "Right," he said as he turned his back to her, "you must now attack me from behind without me knowing. You mustn't make the slightest sound, or your cover will be blown. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Amira nodded. She tried not to shake where she stood stiffly. She didn't know what to do; if she took a step, she'd create an echo and he'd know where she was. She had to please Ultra Magnus. He was scary when he spoke sternly to her.

She looked around her for help, and she watched the other pairs. There were plenty of them who made a noise and their partners flipped them over their shoulder, throwing them to the floor and a loud clang to boom throughout the room. This gave Amira an idea. When one of the Autobots flipped their partners and they struck the floor, she took a step or two forward until the ringing died down, and she froze. When another partner failed to sneak up quietly and was struck in the chest, landing on the floor with a crash, she was able to take three more steps closer to her own partner. She was now only two steps behind Magnus, and he didn't seem to notice.

Then Amira paused; how should he knock him over, if she ever would? Should she sweep his legs, like she had once seen Prime perform? Or should she just kick him in the back, like Bumblebee had done to Prowl? Either one, she had to be quick. She waited for another loud clash to ring out before taking one more tiny step forward, then she pulled back one leg, ready to swing it so she would knock Ultra Magnus off of his feet. She waited for the right moment then swung.

Ultra Magnus, to her surprise, lifted the leg she had hoped to knock from under him. Then he quickly spun on his foot, pressed his hand onto her back then pinned her to the floor, and a loud clang shuddered the walls, earning all of the other Autobots' attention. "Oww!" Amira yelped.

"You almost had me, kid," he said, "until I saw your shadow right under me. You have to keep an optic out for that, or you'll end up scrapped before you even knew it. If I were a Decepticon, you wouldn't be breathing still." He then furrowed his mechanical brows when he noticed the child whimpering and Energon tears seeping through her clamped-shut optics. "What? What's wrong with you?" he asked her.

"T-That really hurt," Amira squeaked.

Ultra Magnus sighed agitated and let her up. "Young lady, you are an Autobot, and Autobots do not start crying over being pinned to the floor."

'But she's just a child,' Bumblebee buzzed. 'She's still new to everything, so you have to go easy on her.'

"But she also has to learn that things will not 'go easy on her' out in the field," said Prowl. "If she's going to be included in this war, she needs to learn to get rough, and prepare for any roughness coming for her. Optimus would agree with Magnus."

Bee glared at him. 'Would he?' He saw the uncertainty in Prowl's optics as the Autobot took a step back, hanging his helm a bit. Then the scout returned to the substitute. 'Please, Ultra Magnus, sir, go easy on her a bit.'

"I intend to treat any Autobot soldier, whether fully grown or child exactly the same, young scout," Magnus replied.

Bumblebee made a sighing sound. 'Yes, sir. But, if she gets hurt under your teachings, you will be the one answering to Optimus Prime,' he bleeped as he made a gesture towards the infirmary. Bee seemed a little pleased when he saw the hidden anxiety etching on Ultra Magnus's face plate; he knew just how loyal he was to Master Prime, and would do anything to please him, much like a servant to his king.

The substitute sighed and said quickly, "Never mind it. Onto the next lesson-"

"Wait!" Magnus turned and saw Amira, slightly tear-stained, standing directly below him. "I wanna try again."

"Oh, do you?" Ultra Magnus raised a mechanical brow. Amira nodded firmly. He saw something different in her; her optics were filled with determination. Merely moments ago, they were scintillating with innocence and vulnerability. Now, along with determination, there was strength and power. "Very well."

He made a gesture with his hand to have the other Autobots, who had circled around them, to back up and expand the circle. He faced away from Amira, completely expecting to end up pinning her to the floor. He understood that the new Autobot was a child and that at first she would be fragile and helpless, and that she would require much guidance and care, but she was still an Autobot. And Autobots are not to be fragile nor helpless. They need to learn to fend for themselves, and those who need them. But it was clear that the one doing the needing was the child. Ultra Magnus was so deep in his thoughts of criticism towards the little Autobot, that he didn't hear her approaching and soon found himself laying face-down on the Cybertronium floor. While he groaned and the other Autobots gasped in surprise, Amira giggled and cheered.

"I did it! I did it!" she chanted while skipping and twirling around. "Bumblebee, did you see?!"

'I sure did,' Bee said as he swooped her up. 'You see? You keep trying and you'll get it!'

"WowIcan'tbelieveitAmirayoudidityoureallydiditIknewyouwouldIjustknewandwowIcan'tbelievethatUltraMagnusjustgothisafthandedtohimbyachildOhIjustcan'tbelieveitbutcongratulations," Blurr exclaimed.

Ultra Magnus grumbled as he got to his feet and brushed himself off. "Yes, yes, well done. But there is still much more training for her to master."

Amira pouted at his meaningless congratulation while Bumblebee chuckled. 'Don't worry, Amira,' he beeped lightly to her, 'he's just mad because you actually kicked his aft.' This made Amira giggle, and she fell silent when Magnus turned to glare at her, then turned away.

"Now, the next training exercise will put your speed to the test." Blurr suddenly perked up and grinned while the others groaned and muttered to themselves.

Amira smiled; if what Optimus said of her one day being able to outrun even Blurr was true, she was ready to find out. Magnus explained that he would clock each of their running times, and those with the fastest times would compete with others until there was a winner. Because he was easily the fastest by far, Blurr was told he would go up against the finalist.

The floor then slid back together over the Cybertronium sheet; Ultra Magnus pressed a button on the remote and nineteen pairs of lights appeared from out of the floor, extending from one end of the training room to the other. "Now," he said, "this should need no explanation, but I will anyway. You must all run from here, to there, and back here again. The top ten with the fastest times will move on. Then we'll move to top five, then top three, then the top two, then the winner will go against Blurr on the main track. Everyone understand?"

"Yes, sir," replied the Autobots.

"Good. Now, all of you, select a track. Doesn't matter which one."

As the Autobot trainees chose their track, Amira eagerly took one next to Bumblebee. "I hope I can run real fast like Daddy said I would one day," she said to her yellow friend excitedly.

'I am sure you will,' Bee chirped. 'Remember, if you want to do something, be sure to tell yourself to do it.'

Amira smiled, then she sighed sadly. "But I wish Daddy was teaching me. This guy's mean and bossy."

'Like I said, he's a bit rough around the edges, but he really is a good guy. That's why Optimus chose him to be his substitute.'

"We wouldn't have a substitute if the kid hadn't lost control of her board," muttered a female Autobot on Bumblebee's other side.

The scout saw that the femme's comment had saddened his little friend and he buzzed, 'It was an accident, Arcee. Ratchet said Optimus would recover within a day or so and he'll be back on his feet.'

"Yeah, and until that time, we're under the radar of Mr. by-the-book over there," the Autobot named Arcee grumbled.

"Everyone ready?" asked Ultra Magnus, and the Autobots nodded. Amira closed her optics and concentrated deeply, feeling the pulse of her spark and the Energon flowing through her circuitry, telling herself to go fast. She felt slight tension in her legs as they surged with power. Then Ultra Magnus shouted, "GO!"

The Autobots took off towards the other end of the training room. Amira realized she was a little behind the others, and Bumblebee and the Autobot named Arcee were far ahead. She willed herself to go faster, pushing herself a little harder. The flow of power in her legs increased, and she picked up speed, racing past the other bots who had fallen behind. Soon she was caught up with Bumblebee. Both he and Arcee were a bit surprised to see she caught up so quickly. Once they all reached the other end, they turned on their heels and dashed back to the start. The second they crossed the line, Ultra Magnus stopped their times. By the time the last Autobot got to where they started, he checked their times.

"Alright," he said, "time to name the top ten moving on." Then he began to call out the Autobots' names. Amira began to feel doubt; she did go as fast as she told herself to do, but she wondered if it was fast enough. "...Bumblebee...Arcee...Amira." The Autobot child looked up and gasped, and so did a few of the other bots. Ultra Magnus sighed and repeated, "Yes, kid, you made it to the top ten...surprisingly." While Amira and Bumblebee cheered, the other Autobots did not seem too pleased that they were outran by a newcomer. Not long after, the top ten became five, with Bumblebee and Amira and Arcee among them; the other two were the horned Autobot named Cliffjumper and the other was Prowl. The others were amazed to see the child zip past the others with no problem. Amira herself was surprised, and proud of herself. She could run faster than everyone in the training room so far. She only hoped to put her speed to the test if she were to go up against the speed-talking Blurr.

After that run, it became Arcee, Cliffjumper and Amira. She noticed the red, horned Autobot giving Arcee weird looks that she scoffed disgustedly at and looked away. She giggled to herself then focused on the task at hand: finish first. The numbers were dwindling, and they all knew they would have to push themselves to make it to the final track with Blurr. "So far you're doing pretty good, kid," Cliffjumper had said to her. "But don't feel bad if you don't make it this time." Amira ignored him and kept her eyes on the track.

"GO!" shouted Ultra Magnus and they took off. For the first few seconds they were all neck-in-neck, then Arcee fell a little behind, and the child Autobot was behind her. Cliffjumper grinned as he took the lead, reached the other end of the training hall, and by the time he turned to head back, the femme bots had reached the other wall. Amira willed herself to go even faster. She'd come so far, and she wasn't about to let it go. The flow of power in her legs grew dramatically, and she zoomed forward, past both Arcee and Cliffjumper. She crossed her marker first. Cliffjumper crossed second.

"Yeah!" Cliff exclaimed, pumping a servo in the air. Arcee groaned agitated at the fact she was defeated by the Autobot show-off.

Then she smirked and said tauntingly, "You got your aft handed to you by a child, cliff. How does it feel?"

"Hey, you did, too, Arcee."

"You both did, alright? Now, Arcee, get off the track so Cliffjumper and Amira may race," Ultra Magnus said impatiently. Cliff smirked proudly while Arcee huffed as she stormed off the track. Amira tried congratulating her on her efforts, but the fuming femme Autobot just brushed aside her and blocked out each of her words. "Now," said Magnus, "Cliffjumper and Amira, you two will race and—"

"Hold up, sir," Cliff interrupted. "Just a thought: say I were to win and go up against Blurr. Do you honestly think I can surpass his speed?"

"What is your point, soldier?"

Cliffjumper then gestured to the Autobot child. "The kid's made it this far. Why not let her take the shot without deciding the finalist with another race?"

"Are you saying, you are forfeiting?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Something like that. I know, it's something you'd never find me doing, but still."

Magnus hung his helm and grumbled a swear in Cybertronian. Then he glanced back up with a displeased look in his optics as he said, "It's your choice, Cliffjumper. Amira, Blurr, get ready for the final track." Amira smiled with a giggle, her spark fluttering joyously, as her friend and future opponent, Blurr, approached her.

"OhboyohboyohboythisisgoingtobefunIjustknowJustyouandmeandthetrackabdthat'sitandoneofuswillwinThereisachanceitwillbeyouwithhowfastI'veseenyougosofarbutdon'tfeelbadifyoudon'tYoujustgottokeeporacticinglikeMasterPrimesaid," he said.

Amira grinned then turned to Ultra Magnus. "Mr. Ultra Magnus," she chirped, "what do I get if I win the race?"

The sub towered over her and replied with a booming voice, "My full respect. And that is one big 'if', kid. Don't get your hopes up."

Her smile faded quickly as he headed off, then she huffed a pout. "He doesn't like me. He's never liked me."

"Awdon'tworryAmiraJustgivehimtimeHe'llwarmuptoyoujustlikeBeeandIhave," Blurr assured her. "JustyouwaitandseeHewillgetusedtoyouHe'sneverhadtorecruitchildrenAutobotsbefore."

"Okay!" Ultra Magnus announced. "Blurr, Amira, onto your tracks, now. Blurr, you on the inside track, and Amira on the outside. Hurry it up so we can move on to the next lesson." The two Autobots hurried to their assigned tracks and got into starting positions.

"I gotta go fast," Amira whispered to herself. "I have to. Daddy says I could go faster than Blurr. Only one way to find out. I gotta try."

"Your objective," explained Magnus, "is to complete ten full laps around the training hall along your track. Of course, whoever gets here first is the winner. Now, are you both ready?"

"Yes!" Amira cheeped.

"OhyesyesyesyesI'vebeenreadythiswholetimeIamsoexcitedCanyoutellIamexcitedItalksuperfastwhenIamexcitedOhIamsoexcitedLet'sgetstartedalreadyI'mreadyI'mpumpedupandreadygo!" Blurr exclaimed.

"Very well. On my mark," Ultra Magnus began. "...GO!" They both instantly took off. The other trainees could not believe that the child was close behind Blurr, practically tailgating him.

Amira knew Ultra Magnus's little trick: he put her on the outside so she would have to try harder. Not that she wasn't going to in the first place. If she was going to be the Autobot her father wanted her to be, she found it necessary to push herself as far as possible. She forced herself to speed up, and she was right alongside Blurr. She kept this up for the first eight laps of the race. _I'm doing it_, she thought happily. _I am running as fast as Blurr! Now I just have to_—she suddenly felt a massive drainage in her energy levels. She began to slow, her legs ached, and every part of her felt heavy. Soon Blurr was two feet—then five—then twelve—then twenty feet ahead of her.

'Oh, no!' Bee whirred. 'What's happening?!'

Ultra Magnus furrowed his mechanical brows as he watched Amira slowing. "Her energy levels are decreasing rapidly. She's been pushing herself too hard during the practice, abusing her power just to keep up. Oh, well. If she burns out it's her problem."

'Burns out?!' the scout buzzed angrily and fearfully. 'It will be most certainly your fault because you're the one training her!'

"True, but it's her decision to push herself so hard. Can't she see there are other ways for her to use her ability much more properly?"

'Of course, she can't! She's still a _child_!'

Amira watched as Blurr crossed the line, beginning his ninth lap. By the time she had crossed it, he was already on the other side of the track. "No," she whispered faintly. "I need to go faster...I have to cross before Blurr does...I have to...If I want Mr. Magnus to like me...Please...Make me go faster..."

Ultra Magnus glared down at the scout. "I understand she is a child, soldier, but she is also an Autobot, and Autobots—" He was stopped short by a blinding light on the track. He and the others gasped as they saw Amira pick up speed once more, zooming past them all and right behind Blurr. They crossed the line, beginning their tenth and final lap.

"WowAmirayou'redoinggreatsofarYoureallyareNowlet'sseewhowillcrossthatlinefirst!" Blurr cheered. He decided to pick it up a little, but soon he realized the Autobot child was a bit ahead of him and gaining. Then in a trail of crimson light, she took off at blinding speed. By the time he came to a stop once he crossed the finish line, Amira was already there. He couldn't believe it. Someone actually beat him in a race.

The other Autobots crowded around her and Bee pushed himself to the front. 'Amira! Are you okay?!' he chirped worriedly. Amira was hunched over, sitting on her knees, heaving deep breaths. Her legs throbbed, her spark pulsed violently, and her vision was slightly blurred. Bumblebee took her in his arms and stood up. 'You're hot. Just calm down and you'll cool...You did a great job. I knew you could do it.' Blurr raced over to her.

"WowAmirayoudiditYouactuallydiditYoubeatmeinaraceYouarethefirstAutobottoeverdosoWowyou'rereallyspecialOptimuswouldbeproudandcongratualtions!" Then he noticed how weak she looked. "HeyBumblebeeissheokayShelooksreallywornoutYouthinksheworkedherselftoohard?"

'Probably,' the scout replied.

Ultra Magnus came over, looking impressed and dumbfounded at the same time. "Well, now," he began, "as much as what you did was quite impressive, little lady, it was also reckless, foolish, and unwise. You clearly abused your gifted talent of speed just to win a race. If you had pushed yourself any further than you already did, you would have over heated your system severely and burned out. Now, you don't want to go up in flames now, do you?"

The thought of her body engulfed in fire frightened her and she began to cry. "N-No," she squeaked.

"No, what?"

"N-N-No, sir..."

"What are these tears for, soldier?"

"I don't wanna go up in flames!" Amira wailed. Then she wriggled herself free from Bumblebee's arms and she zoomed out of the training hall sobbing.

"Now where is she going?" said Arcee, resting a servo on her hip.

The scout watched the path she took and gasped, 'She's headed for the infirmary. And I think I know to whom in the infirmary.' Then he, Ultra Magnus, and Blurr raced after her while the other trainees stood dumbstruck in the hall.

Amira zipped past any Autobot in her path then screeched to a halt in front of room P01, banging on the door. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," she heard Ratchet's voice say in a slightly annoyed tone. Then he slid the door open, and she ran inside crying. "Whoa!" Ratchet exclaimed as she ran under his legs. "Now what is going on?!"

Optimus sat up in his berth, flooding with worry and confusion, as the tiny Autobot girl scurried to his side, blubbering as large Energon tears fell from her optics. He noticed she looked worn out and he felt a faint wave of heat. "Amira," he said, "what's wrong? Are you alright?" Amira failed to answer, she just collapsed to her knees with an exhausted sob. "Amira!"

"No, don't get up, Optimus. I'll get her," said the medic. He went to her, picked her up and laid her on the berth next to him. "My, she's overheating a little." He then heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Bumblebee, Blurr, and Ultra Magnus standing under the threshold. "Do any of you have a clue to what is the matter with Amira?"

"WellyouseeoutsecondtrainingexercisewastotestourspeedandAmiraendedupbeingafinalistandshehadtoraceagainstmebutwhatIthinkhappenedisthatduringpracticesheusedherspeedalittletoomuchandhersystemweakenedbutshecontinuedtokeepgoingThenshezoomedrightbymeinabrightredlightAndbythatImeanshewasgoingsofastitlookedlikeshewasglowingAnywayshebeatmeintheraceandthenshejustfelltoherknees. AtleastthatisfromwhatIsaw," Blurr explained.

'In case you didn't get any of that, Optimus,' Bee stepped forward, 'Amira must've overused her power, resulting in a temporal system failure.'

"Hmm. I see," Optimus said with a faint nod.

"That explains why she's overheating, and why her spark rate is incredibly high," said Ratchet as he checked every inch of the child, "but a little rest should do it."

Then Optimus spoke gently to Amira once she calmed down enough, "Amira, why would you push yourself too hard?"

"B-Because," she began, "...Mr. Ultra Magnus said if-if I win...I would earn his respect."

The Prime's optics widened a little then they narrowed to a glare as they fixed on the orange and blue Autobot. "So he did," he said deeply.

"O-Optimus, sir," Ultra Magnus stepped up, hoping to defend himself, "I didn't intend her to push herself so hard. But, if she is to be a true Autobot, she needs to be trained equally as any Autobot if she is to participate in the war—"

"She is a child, ultra Magnus," Optimus said as he sat up straight on his berth. "She should not, in fact, be trained so roughly, nor should she be pushed over her limitations. She needs to be taught one step at a time. Do you honestly expect her to have full knowledge on how to defend herself within a few solar-cycles?"

Ultra Magnus tried to defend his case, but he was left speechless and ashamed and he hung his helm. "Forgive me, Optimus Prime."

Bumblebee then took pity on Magnus and explained, 'But Master Prime, Ultra Magnus has taught her about stealth. She took him down on her second try.'

"YesyeyesanditwasdoneonafloorofCybertroniumalsoLiketheentirefloorsplitapartandasheetofCybertroniumappearedIwasamazedthatwaseverthereButshedidit," Blurr added.

"Daddy..." Amira said weakly.

"Yes, Amira-?"

Optimus began but trailed off as Amira sat up quickly, turned to him and howled, "I don't wanna run anymore!"

The Prime seemed a little surprised. "Why don't you?" he asked.

The child hung her helm and pressed her clenched fists up to her optics and sobbed. "Because...Because Mr. Ultra Magnus says...if I run too fast, I would burn up in flames! I-If that's gonna happen I don't wanna run anymore!"

Optimus blinked at her then focused on Ultra Magnus, whose face plate slightly seemed a bit pinker. He sighed and looked back down onto the crying Autobot in his lap. "There, there, Amira," he said gently, rubbing her back. "I am sure Ultra Magnus didn't mean to scare you by saying such a thing, but just merely warning you." He looked back to his second-in-command. "Is that correct?"

"U-Uh, yes, sir," Magnus nodded.

"And Amira," Optimus continued, "you have been given many talents, and some you will be able to control them much more easily than others. That is why we use training. And in time, you will learn how to use your gift of speed properly, so you will not need to fear of burning out. Alright?" Amira sniffled and nodded. The Prime lightly smiled as he lifted a single digit and swiped it over a vulnerable section of her armor, making the little Autobot giggle. Then he turned to his second-in-command. "Ultra Magnus, if it is alright, I would like to bear witness to Amira's training."

"Of course, sir," Magnus said.

"Yip-yip-yip-yip! I don't think so, Prime. You are still berth-ridden until I say so," said Ratchet, shaking a digit in front of the Prime's face.

"The only way to know if my legs are fully functional is to test them, old friend," Optimus said, and he stepped off the berth, helping Amira slip down. He slowly began to walk and all seemed fine. He managed to make his way to the door and turned to Ratchet with an assuring, faint smile.

The medic grumbled. "It appears you've recovered enough. But I still don't want you teaching just yet!"

"Understood, Ratchet," Prime gave his helm a nod, and he followed the others back to the training hall. The Autobot trainees greeted him warmly as he entered; he informed them he was only there to watch and made his way to the training room wall and observed closely. "You may resume, Commander."

Ultra Magnus nodded. "Now, our next lesson will be on how to use your senses. Allow me to demonstrate. Sideswipe, step forward." A blue and grey Autobot stepped up, and suddenly Ultra Magnus shoved something in his optics.

"Augh! What is this?!" Sideswipe exclaimed as he tried to wash whatever it was out of his eyes.

"Relax soldier, it's only oil," Magnus said. "Now, ladies and gentlemen. Let's say this happened to you. You are in the middle of a fight and your optics have become useless. What do you do? You rely on your other senses." He began walking around Sideswipe while the helpless Autobot stumbled around as he tried to locate Ultra Magnus's position. "You need to focus, keep track of the movements you hear and feel. If you aren't focused"—he swung his leg, knocking Swipe off of his feet and landing on the floor with a thud—"you could end up on the ground dead." Amira suddenly raised her hand. "Yes, Amira?"

"Are you gonna squirt oil in our optics, too?" she asked in an innocent tone; her question made the other trainees laugh.

Magnus glared and turned to Optimus, only to find the Autobot leader chuckling. He stared at him confused for a moment then turned to the young Autobot. "No, I am not. That was just an example. Besides, I don't think your father would appreciate me putting oil in his daughter's optics." Amira smiled and let out a giggle. He sighed and continued. "Now I know some of you have already mastered the use of your senses, but for those who haven't this should help. Here's how it's going to work: we will start by eliminating sight and depending on sound. You will all close your eyes and use your hearing to detect my location and my movements. What you have to do is try and avoid my attacks. If you avoid them long enough, you pass. If you don't, you keep going until you do. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," said the Autobots.

"Good. Now let's get to it." He looked to the smallest in the crowd. "Amira. Since you are new to this, why don't you go first?"

Amira nervously glanced around her then looked to Optimus Prime, who gave her an assuring smile. "Okay—I mean, yes sir," she fixed herself and stepped forward. She stood where Ultra Magnus instructed her to and closed her optics. "What do I do now? I can't see."

"That's the point," she heard Ultra Magnus's voice coming from behind on her right. "You must try and avoid my attacks on you, so listen very closely. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Amira nodded and stood completely still. She picked up Ultra Magnus's footsteps circling her, then heading in the opposite direction, then back again. She heard a quickness in his pace and a low whoosh coming from below. Something told her to jump, so she did.

"Excellent," said the substitute. "You have avoided my first attack. Now, let's change things up a little. Bumblebee, Arcee, step forward." The named Autobots stepped in front of the path, awaiting orders. "I want you to do exactly as I am, but you can choose when you attack."

"Understood," said the blue femme Autobot.

Bumblebee seemed a little uncertain about this; he didn't want to hurt Amira, accidentally nor deliberately, but he could see she was learning quite well and had hopes she would detect his movements before any harm would come to her. His main worry was what the child would do if he, Arcee, and Ultra Magnus were to attack simultaneously, leaving her nowhere to go. But then he remembered Optimus Prime was in the training hall, standing against the front wall. If the scout knew one thing, as long as he was there, Prime wouldn't allow anything he thought Amira couldn't handle. 'Understood,' Bee gave his helm a nod.

Amira closed her optics again and listened closely. They were all circling her, two going in the same direction, one going the opposite. The one closest to her took slow, light steps, so she figured this was Arcee. The one furthest away took quick, heavy steps, and she knew that was Ultra Magnus, so Bumblebee had to be in the middle. But their paces constantly changed as they switched directions and the Autobot girl had trouble focusing. Their footsteps were uneven and random, they didn't follow in a pattern anymore. Then they began sounding like they were at the same distance from her and they each stepped simultaneously. Being unable to detect their individual movements frustrated her, and she never sensed the oncoming attack. Amira felt someone sweep her off her feet and she landed on the floor with a clang. Startled she opened her optics to find Arcee towering over her with a faint smirk.

The child felt humiliated; she got to her knees but stopped as tears threatened to pour over her cheeks. _No_, she told herself, _don't cry. Don't cry. Autobots don't cry over being tripped. Don't you dare cry!_ She quickly wiped her Energon tears away and got back onto her feet, closed her optics and stood completely still. She tried focusing on one at a time, but when the circling Autobots crossed paths she lost track and frantically tried to find them again, leaving her distracted. She never sensed Ultra Magnus's move. Amira felt a powerful force strike her from behind and she fell to the floor again. She got to her knees and hung her helm, and she heard Magnus groan disappointedly. Tears formed again in her optics and she became flustered. _No! Don't cry! Don't. Cry! _She quickly got up and wiped them away, then she looked to Optimus. He gave her a nod with a gentle smile. She felt so sorry; he had so much faith in her that she would succeed in this lesson, but there she was failing so far. The thought of disappointing Optimus Prime sent an ache through her body. She couldn't. She had to pass. She faced away from him, closed her optics again and stood motionless while Magnus, Arcee and Bumblebee began circling her again.

This time they all walked in the same direction, but at different paces, and the heaviness of their footsteps were unalike. She somehow knew the closest one to her now was Ultra Magnus, and the furthest was Bumblebee. She had a sudden feeling Arcee would be the one to attack first, thinking Bee and Magnus were attempting to throw her off, leaving her distracted while Arcee moved in to attack. Suddenly, she only heard two patterns of footsteps. A sudden gut-instinct told Amira that there was something above her, and she couldn't help but look up. Arcee had leapt up into the air and was about to plummet down on top of her. She let out a cry and jumped out of the way, tumbling across the floor, with Arcee landing on an empty target.

"Foul! She looked!" exclaimed Cliffjumper.

'I'm sure she didn't mean to,' said Bumblebee.

"It doesn't matter, bug. She still looked, and the rules for this lesson are to not use your optics. That's a foul!"

'Well, Arcee shouldn't have done that attack! Amira can't detect her movements when she's in the air.'

"Well, no one informed me that I couldn't," the blue femme Autobot shrugged.

All eyes fell on Amira as faint sobs slipped out and large Energon tears rolled down her cheek-plates. "Oh great, the sparkling's crying again," grumbled Sideswipe.

"Can it, you lug nut," hissed another Autobot. "Have you forgotten that Optimus Prime is right over there?! If he were to hear you, he'd have you for scrap."

Ultra Magnus shook his helm with a sigh and approached the crying child. "Amira, it's alright. You just need more practice. Now get up so we can continue."

"Why bother, Magnus? She'll just end up eating the floor again," Arcee said.

'Hey, at least she's trying!' Bee buzzed.

"YeahshereallyisAndnoneofyouarebeingverysupportiveofherSheneedsencouragementnotnegativity," Blurr said.

"What she needs is to stop getting so distracted and focus," said Ultra Magnus lowly, hoping Prime wouldn't hear him clearly.

'She's trying!' the scout exclaimed angrily. 'It's clear she's struggling to focus when three opponents are encircling her. She's not ready for that yet!'

"I understand she is a child, Bumblebee. You've been buzzing that all day. If things were being run fully my way, I'd have the entire class go up against her. But not everyone can have their way, can they?"

Bee glared and buzzed a curse in Cybertronian to Ultra Magnus, and the dumbstruck Autobot wore the same angered look. But both were stopped at the sight of bright blue bolts of light appearing out of the corner of their optics. They looked and were surprised to see the sparks flickering around the Autobot child. "W-What is this...?" asked Arcee as she and the others took a few steps back, and Optimus straightened up against the wall, a deep concern growing within him.

Amira hunched her back as her digits curled into fists while her hands were pressed against the floor. Her optics were shut tight and she gritted her metallic teeth as the sparks and jolts of light intensified. She didn't understand it; she was trying so hard, so very hard, and the others didn't seem to care. She tried to give her all but they brushed her victories aside like a clutter of dust. She felt they pretended she never even existed, therefore didn't care what she did or what she said. She meant nothing to them. Absolutely nothing. This thought infuriated her. The sparks grew immensely as they shot from her body and extended far out, and a sapphire-blue dome of light formed around her as she got to her feet, still hunched over with her hands clenched into tight fists, her servos close to her chest. The jolts of light cracked and buzzed violently while the light became brighter and brighter as her anger grew. Then she suddenly straightened out and flung her arms out to the side, uncurling her digits. "_STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!_" she howled. The light expanded quickly and the jolts shot out at the other Autobots, some barely missing, and others hitting them right on target. She couldn't even hear their cries of pain. The force of the light shoved the Autobot trainees back against the far wall and laid sprawled out on the floor.

Then, as quick as it happened, the jolts and sparks vanished and the light faded. Amira stood there panting heavily, angrily. Optimus could not believe what he had just seen. He was never informed that she could ever do that, whatever it is she just did. His optics stared wide, shocked, even slightly terrified. Amira's expression quickly changed from pure rage to utter shock and fear at the realization of what had happened. She frantically looked around her at all the groaning and injured Autobots; she even saw Ultra Magnus, Blurr and Bumblebee were hurt.

She burst into tears and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I promise I didn't! I-I just—Oh I'm sorry!" Flooded with shame and sorrow she fled from the training hall.

"Amira," Optimus called to her, but she was already gone. He looked back to the trainees and saw the non-severely injured bots tending to the ones who are and assured they would be alright until a medic arrived. He headed out of the room, up the stairs and down the hall to the bunkers. He approached his private quarters to find the door slightly ajar, and he heard loud wails erupting from the back. He cautiously entered and headed to his resting quarters to find Amira sobbing loudly and uncontrollably on the berth. His spark ached with pity for her as he entered the room. "Amira," he said gently.

She looked up to him then instantly turned away. "No! Stay away! Leave me alone!" She shoved her hands out to him, shielding herself from him—unknowingly firing a jolt of power straight at Optimus. It struck him in his shoulder and he groaned in intense pain. Amira heard him and only sobbed harder. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Daddy! I really am! I'm sorry!" She turned completely away with her back to him, hugging her legs and hung her helm. Ignoring the singe, Optimus made his way to the berth and sat beside her, rubbing her back. "...I didn't m-mean to d-do it..."

"I know you didn't, Amira," he spoke softly. "But I must ask you...what caused you to do...whatever you had done?"

Amira sniffed, not bothering to wipe her optics free of the river of tears flowing from them. "I...I-I've done so good so far...a-a-and the o-others don't seem to care...T-They still think of m-me as a l-little Autobot, t-that I'm still t-too small f-for all this...They expect me to get it right away! They don't care about what happens to me!"

Optimus gazed down at the weeping Autobot with saddened optics. "I care, little one," he said, "and I am sure so do Bumblebee and Blurr."

"B-But not Ultra M-Magnus," she whimpered. "I...I just want him to like me!"

"Of course, he likes you—"

"No he doesn't! He doesn't like me, and Arcee and Cliffjumper! Nobody likes me!"

Prime sighed as he rested a hand on her bobbing shoulder. "Amira, there are those who like you. Bumblebee, Blurr, even your Uncle Ratchet. And as well as Ultra Magnus. He just doesn't wish to show it so he doesn't wreck his image."

The tiny Autobot then blinked tears as she gazed fearfully up to him. "I-I would wreck his image?!"

"No, no, you misunderstand. He doesn't want to show that he likes you because it might make him look...soft."

Amira sighed woefully. Then she asked softly, "Do you like me, Daddy?"

Optimus looked at her odd and frowned. "Why would you ask me that? Of course, I like you."

But the expression on Amira's face told him that wasn't the answer she had expected. She crawled onto his lap and hugged him. "Daddy," she said, quivering, "...why do they treat me different?...Is it 'cause I'm a little Autobot? Do they think I'm stupid?"

"You are not stupid, Amira," Prime told her. "Never think of yourself as stupid. You are very intelligent and gifted. And I am sure the others do not mean to treat you differently. They haven't exactly trained with a child before, so it's a new experience for them, especially for Ultra Magnus. But they shouldn't judge you by your size. I know you are capable of great things."

"But they're mean to me! One of them called me a sparkling. But I'm not!"

"Of course you're not," Optimus said gently. "True, you are young, but nowhere near a sparkling. And I must admit, while I observed the lesson, I was not a fond of Ultra Magnus's idea of you standing up against three Autobots when you've hardly mastered one, nor the others harshly criticizing you. When we return—"

"No!"

"...No?" he looked at her puzzled.

"I don't wanna go back!" she cried.

"Why don't you?"

"Because they'll only make fun of me and call me mean things and think I can't do the things they can do! I don't wanna train with them anymore!"

"Now, Amira—"

"No, Daddy!"

Optimus finally became impatient and sighed frustrated. "Amira, you must resume your training."

"Why do I have to?!"

"So you can help us win this war. It's the reason why you were created!"

He froze at the sudden look of hurt on the child's face. "W-Why I was..." she squeaked. "...I was only created...to fight in this stupid war...? That's it?...That's the only reason why I exist?!" She pulled away from him and laid down on the berth and burst into tears, sobbing silently.

Prime regretted his own words as he felt his spark ache heavily. He felt his optics moisten as he bit back a cry and turned away. After a moment, he said lowly, "No." Amira stopped crying for that moment and looked up at him, confused. "That is a reason why you exist...but it wasn't the main reason."

"T-Then what is?" she asked.

The fuel-tank-retching images from the past haunted him, the feeling of emptiness and sorrow overwhelmed his systems, and his body shuddered with a sigh. "Only a few stellar-cycles ago...I lost someone deeply close to me. You might say she was your mother, Amira. Anyway, when I held her lifeless body in my arms, I never expected it to hurt so much. I wasn't prepared for the pain I endured that horrifying night. I had never felt so sorrowful, so lost...so lonely...in all my days on Cybertron." Amira gasped a little, then she law small, glowing droplets of deep-bright blue run down Optimus's face plate. "I...I had wanted to do so many things with her...I wanted to start a family...but Megatron took that from me. So...I went to Alpha Trion and told him to create a new kind of soldier. But really...I told him to create you because...I wanted a child of my own." Amira's lower lip quivered as more tears flowed from her father's optics. "I wanted a child so I can create what I wanted to share with Elita-1...I wanted a child to remind me of her because...because"—he began choking on his own words as he hung his helm and buried his face into his hands—"because I miss her...! I miss her...so fragging much...!" He didn't intend to burst into tears himself in front of Amira, but he had contained this pain for so long, he just couldn't handle it any longer.

Amira let out a sob as she quickly crawled to him and hugged him around his servo. "Don't cry, Daddy!" she told him. "Please don't cry! Don't be sad! Mommy wouldn't want you to be sad! She'd want you to be happy that you have a daughter! She wouldn't want you to be lonely and sad because you're not alone anymore! She's not gone, Daddy; she's always with you! And she's with me, too! She can still be part of our family! A-And she wouldn't want you to be sad because she's gone. She'd want you to move on and be happy and not cry! So please don't cry, Daddy!"

Optimus was moved by the child's words. He had never heard anything so...true and meaningful, coming from the mouth of the youngest existing Autobot on Cybertron. The heaviness of grief seemed to have lifted from his spark as he let out a deep, sobbing sigh and turned towards her. They locked optics for a moment, and he smiled as he said, "You are wise beyond your years, my child." She shared that smile as they pulled each other into a hug.

Fresh tears continued to roll from the Prime's optics as he cradled the child in his arms, while he smiled and nuzzled her helm. This little Autobot was indeed his greatest creation.


	7. His Greatest Creation, 3

**His Greatest Creation—A Transformers Fan Fiction**

Chapter 4, final part

After a while, Optimus carried his daughter back to the training hall to find it nearly empty, aside from Ratchet examining Bumblebee and Arcee, and Ultra Magnus angrily pacing the floor, muttering in Cybertronian. "Wait here," he told Amira as he set her down on the floor. Then he approached the fuming Autobot. "Commander. Is everything alright?"

"I don't know, Optimus. Is everything alright?!" Magnus said sharply. "Half of the class has been left in critical condition because of whatever it was Amira did! The rest of them, including myself, Bumblebee and Arcee, are lucky to still be online!"

"Ultra Magnus," Optimus said firmly, "what happened earlier was not deliberate. Amira was upset, and from what she explained to me she had good reason to be."

"Oh, what? About messing up a few times?!"

"How the other students had been treating her. Including you."

Ultra Magnus scoffed. "Me? What did I do to upset her?!"

"You didn't give her the support she needed," Prime stated.

"Well, in my book, support is to be earned. And how are the other Autobots at fault here?! They've done nothing wrong."

"Amira has informed me that they had thought little of her," Optimus explained, "that they assumed she would never amount to anything—"

"And she won't without cooperation," Ultra Magnus interrupted. "Oh, and what? Am I and the rest of the class at fault for all the other mishaps the hatchling did, too?!"

Optimus frowned a little. "I strongly advise you watch your choice of words, Commander. That _hatchling_ is my daughter."

"I understand, Optimus, I really do, and I respect that. But she can't honestly expect everything to be easy."

"She is young, Ultra Magnus. The lessons she learns need to be taught to her one step at a time, not all at once. As I said earlier, do not expect her to understand instantly. If you teach her too much at one time, she could end up hurting herself."

"Oh, she's done that plenty of times already while you were in the infirmary," Ultra Magnus said. "I mean, she almost burned herself out trying to beat Blurr in a race—"

"Because you told her she would receive your respect if she won," Optimus finished. "And she has won, correct? Does she have your respect, or do you still think little of her?"

"It's not that I don't think little of her, but—"

"But, what?" asked Optimus. Ultra Magnus struggled to think of a reply, but all he could do was sigh and hang his head. "I see," said the Prime. "In that case, I am removing Amira from all training classes, and I shall teach her myself, where she won't be discriminated, nor lied to." He then turned and walked away.

"So you're saying my teachings are wrong?!" Optimus stopped in his tracks and faced the furious Commander. "You think it's my fault she did those things?!" The Prime just blinked then turned away again. "Maybe it's her! Maybe it's because she's too innocent, too soft, too fragile, too weak!" Optimus stopped again, but stayed faced away from Magnus. "Or maybe...Maybe you didn't tell Alpha Trion to give her all the courage and strength an Autobot has. You made her weak. You wanted her to be soft and innocent. And what for?" Ultra Magnus said as he approached the Prime. "Because you wanted someone to love. In place of Elita-1. Or because it's you who's become soft. You've lost some of your "big, bad Autobot leader" appearance. Am I right, Prime?"

Now Optimus turned to face him, and the Commander suddenly felt the urge to back away. He had never seen such a serious expression on Optimus's face plate. "As I told you. _I strongly advise you to watch your choice of words_."

"I am only speaking the truth, Optimus," Magnus replied.

The Prime glared and said something in Cybertronian that made the Commander's Energon run cold. Then he walked away, allowing himself to cool as he took Amira by her hand and headed towards the medic. "How are Bumblebee and Arcee, Ratchet?"

"Ah, nothing serious," Ratchet shrugged. "They were two of the few who made it through with minimal damage. Just a few singes is all." He looked down to the small Autobot and saw the heaviness of regret. He faintly smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It was only an accident, kid. You know that, right?" Amira kept her optics to the floor and nodded slowly.

Bumblebee sat up from the mat he laid on. 'We're fine, Amira,' he chirped, 'really. Right, Arcee?'

The blue femme Autobot wanted to disagree, but she held her original reply because Optimus Prime was standing only a couple meters away and muttered, "Sure."

Amira could easily see the pain and frustration within Arcee; she let go of Optimus's hand, headed right for her and wrapped her servos around her upper-chassis. "Sorry," she whimpered.

Arcee was a bit surprised, but she smiled and patted the child on her back. "It's alright, kid. And by the way, I never did congratulate you on winning the race against Blurr." Amira pulled away and smiled the biggest smile Arcee had ever seen. She looked up to Optimus, who wore a faint grin of his own and gave his helm a nod to her.

"Come along, Amira," he said as he took her hand, "it's time we head to the bunker. You need rest."

"Wait!" Amira exclaimed as she pulled away, then ran over to the scout, hugging him tightly. "Bye, Bee," she said sweetly.

'Good night, Amira,' the scout beeped and returned the hug. Then the child raced back to Optimus's side and held his hand.

Ratchet smiled as he watched the leader and his child disappear up the steps and into their bunker, then his smile faded. _An Autobot with the ability to create a power charge...What was Alpha Trion thinking?_

* * *

Soundwave had picked up another recording and played it for Megatron.

'_I went to Alpha Trion and told him to create a new kind of soldier. But really...I told him to create you because...I wanted a child of my own._'

The Decepticon leader chuckled. "How sweet. Poor Optimus wanted someone to love. How soft of the Prime that he would do such a sentimental thing for himself. Perhaps he's desperate." He turned to the silent Decepticon behind him. "But it is strange, Soundwave, how you can pick up recordings from their secret base, but can't locate the secret base itself."

"But Lord Megatron," said the warlord's second-in-command, Starscream, "we've searched this entire region of the city, and we have picked up no traces of the secret base. No signals, nothing."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Starscream," Megatron muttered. "Well then, if we can't detect it, then we'll have to draw them out ourselves. Starscream, ready the armada. We will begin our assault on the Autobots a few hours after the sun sets."

Starscream bowed. "As you command, my Lordship," he said and headed out onto the flight deck towards the gathering armada. "Brothers," he exclaimed, "our Master has decided we search for the Autobot secret headquarters our own way! We attack! Tonight!"

From the _Nemesis_ headquarters, Megatron chuckled as he glared at the screen. "In time, Optimus, we will meet face to face once again. And I am greatly looking forward to meeting your little pet."

* * *

Late the next afternoon, the training hall was completely empty; classes weren't given on these days, so Optimus took this to his own advantage to privately train Amira. "Tell me," he said, "what all have you learned thus far, Amira?"

She tapped her chin as she thought. "Oh! I learned how to use my weapons!" she said as she morphed her servo into a firearm then transformed it back. "And I learned about stealth and speed and how to use my senses!"

"Very well," Optimus nodded, "but I feel Ultra Magnus's methods may have been a little difficult for you." He chuckled a little when Amira nodded in agreement. "So, I will teach you those lessons again, and new ones as well, but we will take it one step at a time."

"Okay, Daddy."

"We shall start off with stealth. First I want you to show me all that you have learned with Ultra Magnus."

"Okay." Optimus turned his back to her, folding his hands behind him and stood patiently. He kept pondering on how she would approach him, possibly by simply being light on her feet, or striking from her current position. Amira was still a bit new to everything so he knew she didn't much at this point, but Prime was confident that over time, the child he cared for with all his spark would be as intelligent as a full grown Cybertronian.

Optimus Prime found himself on his back not a moment later, landing with a loud _CLANG_. The clash echoed throughout the empty training hall, and possibly the entire secret base, for all activity outside of the hall suddenly went silent. Dazed for a moment, he tried to figure out what had just happened. Only a second ago he was on his feet, and the next he is on the floor. He heard Amira's footsteps racing towards him.

"Daddy! Are you okay?!" she asked worriedly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

"No, I am alright," Optimus said with a light groan as he sat up. "But Amira...how did you do that? I never heard you coming, nor sensed you approach."

"Oh. I just shot my weapon at you," she said with a beaming smile. "You see, I thought you would expect me to sneak up from behind and attack, but I decided to just attack from here with my weapon. Neat, huh?"

Optimus was dumbstruck; he had been so busy pondering over how she would attack him, he practically left himself vulnerable and distracted. And Amira somehow knew he was, so she made her move, fooling him into thinking she would sneak up from behind. "Yes," he said. "Very...neat." _Ultra Magnus must've done the same thing when he taught her this lesson,_ he thought as he got to his feet. _He left himself distracted, and that gave Amira the advantage to strike. An unfocused Autobot is a vulnerable Autobot._ "You did well, Amira, taking me down your very first try. You are improving." He smiled when she giggled joyously. "Now, I would like us to swap places. You have to try and avoid my movements."

"Okay, Daddy—I mean: yes, sir," Amira corrected herself and stood straight.

Prime smiled and patted her helm. "You do not have to do that with me, my child," he said.

"Ultra Magnus once told me it was polite, and that a true Autobot says it out of respect," Amira told him.

"That is true, but I believe you are still a little too young to follow strict military procedures, such as Ultra Magnus's teachings."

"That's why you took me out of his classes when he was the substitute."

"Exactly. Now, shall we get started?" Amira nodded and stood ten paces away from him with her back facing him, both of them standing as still as statues. She closed her optics and listened closely; she combined the knowledge she learned during the senses lesson and stealth to detect her father's movements, which slowly began progressing to her far right. She kept her audio-processors sharp as they tracked Optimus's movements, and Amira could feel the vibrations of each of his footsteps through the floor. He began moving a bit closer as he circled her. By the time he made it to her left, she sensed him preparing an attack.

Optimus swung his fist, and Amira quickly ducked. Before he could pull away, Amira had suddenly grabbed a hold of his lower-servo and tugged violently. The next second, Prime found himself being flipped over the child, and landing once again on his back with a _BWAM! _As his optics refocused, he was in a bit of a brief daze as Amira skipped to him, smiling proudly. "How did I do?" she asked.

The Prime let out a chuckle as he rolled onto his side, got to his knees and stood up, brushing himself off. "Very well that you detected my movements and avoided them, but I didn't expect you to counter-attack. We're practicing stealth, we're not sparring just yet."

"Oh, okay. I won't flip you next time. Wanna try again?" Optimus gave a nod; he stood ten paces behind her and she closed her optics. Prime moved a little further back and stepped even lighter around her; since the rest of the training hall was empty, there was plenty of room for the two of them to practice. As he traveled further and further away, Amira found tracking his movements more and more difficult, almost as difficult as tracking three patterns of footsteps at once. Soon, she wasn't able to hear or sense any kind of movements at all.

An urgent surge pulsed through her circuitry; it startled her, it came out of nowhere. She quickly opened her optics and found Optimus directly in front of her with his blade drawn, ready to swing it down upon her. She let out a startled cry and shielded herself by crossing her servos above her helm as the Prime brought his weapon down. There was a flash of blue light. A wave of energy rippled across a blue dome that appeared when Optimus's weapon collided with Amira's servos—or at least it seemed like they did. But really, it was only mere millimeters from them. The ripples of energy expanded down the dome and faded as they reached the floor, and a low vibrating tune buzzed. Both the Prime and the child Autobot were surprised.

"What was that?!" she cried, bringing her servos down. The translucent, Energon-blue dome flickered then instantly vanished.

Optimus faintly smiled as he remembered the day he went to Alpha Trion. "That is called a force field, Amira," he told her.

"Force field?"

"Yes. They help defend you in battle. They are a marvelous piece. Nothing can go through them from neither the inside or outside. Truly impervious to all things."

"But how'd I do it?"

"When you crossed your servos," Optimus explained as he showed her, turning her servos so the inward side faced outward, revealing two little circles, "these electromagnets locked and charged, creating the dome that is the force field. And when you separate them, the shield disappears."

"Wow," Amira exclaimed. "I have my own force field?!...But how do I know if it is strong enough to protect me?"

"Let us practice that." Optimus then morphed one of his servos into his firearm. "Reactivate the force field, Amira, like I showed you." Amira nodded nervously and locked the two electromagnets together, and the force field reappeared. "Now try to stand still," he said as he charged his blaster. Then he fired. Amira screamed when it struck the force field, creating several ripples of energy expanding as they slide down the dome and disappeared to the floor. The vibrating buzz it created was enough to make both of their chassis tremble, and where the blast collided with the force field, the dome glowed brightly at the collision mark. Realizing she wasn't harmed, Amira calmed down and dropped the shield. "Apparently it is strong enough to withstand a simple blast from a firearm. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Amira said. "That scared me a little, though."

"It's alright, it was only a test. Now, let us try stealth one last time."

"Okay, Daddy." She turned away from him and closed her optics and began to track his movements, which she realized she couldn't anymore. After a few seconds' thought, she came to discover that the reason she couldn't detect his footsteps was because Optimus wasn't moving. He was still standing right behind her. Amira began to worry, but she stood still. What was he planning? Would she be able to defend herself from an attack at such close range? Yes, she knew he was directly behind her; she could practically hear the hum of his spark. Then she picked up the sound of mechanic whirs and metal shifting; he must have transformed his servo into his sword or his blaster again. _Wait..._she thought. She remembered that his servo was already transformed into one of his weapons. Why would he transform it back?

She jumped at the sensation of strong, gentle hands gripping around her sides, briefly holding her out in the air, then she found herself being pressed against his chest. "D-Daddy!" she exclaimed. "What's this?!"

"Say a Decepticon sneaks up from behind and keeps a firm hold on you," Optimus said with a smile. "You must try and escape."

"Or what?"

"There will be consequences."

Amira gasped. "No, Daddy!"

"Then you best try and escape, little one," Optimus said, a hint of playfulness in his voice. Amira began trying to pull herself free, lift herself from Optimus's grasp, but she was held onto too tight. She tried slipping out to reach the floor, but he held her fast in all ways. But Amira didn't want to know what the "consequences" were, so she kept tugging until she strained herself; after a moment of pointless squirming, she finally hung limp in his hold, panting heavily and exhaustedly.

"Do you give up, young one?" he asked her with a grin she couldn't see. Amira whined as she wearily nodded. "Such a shame. Now you must pay the price." He bit back a chuckle when Amira gasped fearfully. "I am no Decepticon, and I would never do harm to you. And since I am not, I can do this."

Not even a second later, Amira found herself squealing and laughing at the sensation of Optimus's digits digging into the vulnerable sections of her armor. She kicked her legs violently and gripped tightly onto Prime's servos as she squirmed uncontrollably. "Daddy," she cried, "no more! Stop it, that feels funny! Stop it!"

"If you don't like it, then you must try and escape from me," Optimus said playfully. To be honest, he didn't want Amira to successfully pull away; for the first time in a long time, he felt so playful. He wanted to have fun. He didn't even know where this urge to play came from, but he didn't seem to care. He felt much softer, not like the Autobot leader he was looked onto as. He felt like a father.

Amir continued to giggle and she screamed when Optimus hit certain spots under her armor that caused her to buck, loosening Optimus's grip on her a little. That little loss of grip gave Amira the advantage to escape from her "consequences" and she wriggled free. She stumbled and rolled around across the floor, then tried to get to her feet while giggling. "I got away!" she cheered. "Yippee!"

"Ohh," Optimus said glaring with a smile, "you may have gotten away, but it's only a matter of time until I catch you again."

"Uh-oh!"

"Come here, you!" he exclaimed. Amira squealed and took off with the Prime chasing her around the training hall. He would catch up to her then she would take a sharp turn and avoid being caught. Optimus chuckled as he turned to follow her, then he cut her off. "Nice try, but I have you now!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Amira said as she leaped away from Optimus's hands then sped off to the other side of the training hall. "Can't get me, can't get me!"

"Oh, really?" Optimus smirked playfully. Amira's optics widened when she saw him transform completely into a large, red and blue long-nosed truck. The headlight flickered and the engine revved, then the tires trailed smoke as the rig took off.

"Whoa!" Amira yelped and jumped out of the truck's path. "Wait, I forgot I could do this..." she activated her hover-board, balanced herself on it then took off. "Wait, I don't know how to fly this thing!" Then why wasn't she spinning out of control like before? Amira didn't let it bother her and she soared around the room in circles with Optimus behind her, both of them laughing and chasing one another.

Little did they know Ultra Magnus, accompanied by Bumblebee, Arcee, Ratchet and Bulkhead, was watching. He frowned a little; he had also never seen Optimus so playful, so child-like, so...he didn't want to say 'weak', but he couldn't think of an alternative. But on the other hand, they both looked, or sounded, so happy. It was the happiest he had ever seen the Autobot leader be, especially with a child Autobot. But that child was his child. The Commander didn't know the true reason Optimus had Amira created, but he had a few ideas.

'You see there?' Bumblebee chirped, gesturing to the Prime and the Autobot girl. 'That is how you do it.'

"That's the happiest I've ever seen Optimus be," said Arcee. "Everyone, enjoy it while it lasts."

Magnus frowned. "Optimus may be willing to ruin his reputation by playing, but not me," he said lowly.

Bulkhead scoffed. "_Ruin his reputation_? What's that supposed to mean? No one is going to think less of him as the Autobot leader just because he's spending time with his daughter. And she's made progress on her training with him."

"Are you saying his training skills are superior to mine, solider?" Ultra Magnus asked sternly.

"He trained you," Bulk replied, and Ultra Magnus gave him a look that made him step back a little. "Uh, s-sir."

"What Bulkhead means, sir, is that with how Optimus is helping her, she is improving," Ratchet said. "And, no offense, you were kind of rushing her."

"We are in the middle of a war, Ratchet. The more well-trained warriors we have, the better. If Amira is as powerful as Optimus informed me she is, then she must be trained properly."

'She needs to be trained _right_,' Bumblebee whirred. 'Plus, Amira thinks you don't like her.'

"Just let them play," said Arcee. "They're having fun. And that is one thing I've never known Optimus to have. Guess everyone can change somehow." She and Ratchet headed out. "Bee, Bulk, you two coming?"

"Oh, we'll be along in a klik," said Bulkhead. Ratchet and Arcee nodded, left and then departed; Bulkhead left after a moment had past, while Bumblebee chose to stay and watch. Ultra Magnus also remained on the deck. He was dumbfounded and felt a little insulted. But at the same time, he felt ashamed. He watched as Optimus sped in front of Amira, transformed and caught her; they both laughed and smiled. Magnus did see much improvement in the Autobot child, much more than when she was under his watch. He lowered his gaze; maybe, just maybe, everyone was right.

Optimus locked hands with Amira's and they pushed. They began Amira's next lesson of testing her strength. She had to push on him as hard as she could against him to see how much force she could deliver. He took three large steps forward, pushing her back. Then she took two steps forward and shoved, causing Prime to stumble back four paces. She pushed harder while he kept his feet planted firmly to the ground; soon he found himself sliding backwards while Amira pressed onward. He actually smiled; he was purely amazed. No practices, no exercises, she was doing this all on her own. He knew she would be a strong Autobot, both physically and mentally. He pushed back as hard as he could, causing Amira to step back a few steps. From there on it was a game of Tug-of-War, only instead of pulling they were pushing; and they were giving their all. Optimus was using every inch of his strength, and Amira was barely flinching. When she used every inch of her own strength, she managed to push Optimus back.

With one violent push, Amira managed to knock the Prime over once again onto his back, and she fell on top of him. They both stared at each other awkwardly before breaking into laughter. Amira laid across his chest while Optimus rested a hand over her body. "That was fun!" she giggled. "Let's do it again!"

Optimus chuckled as he sat up, placing Amira in his lap. "Maybe after a while. Don't want you to push yourself too hard," he said, prodding her over her abdomen, making her jump and squeal. They both laughed as they got to their feet.

"I must say, that's a sight I'd never thought I'd see."

They both turned startled to see the Commander, accompanied by the scout, leaning against the wall of the training room. Amira's smile fell instantly as she took a step behind Optimus, while the Prime kept an expressionless look on his face. The look Ultra Magnus had told him he wanted to talk. "Amira," he said to the child, "why don't you and Bumblebee go practice while Ultra Magnus and I talk?"

"Okay, Daddy," she replied with a nod.

While she and Bumblebee raced off together to spar a little, Optimus headed for Ultra Magnus. "She is improving," said the Commander, "far much more than I had anticipated."

Optimus gave him a slow nod. "She may be very young, but she has proven to be a quick learner." He gave Magnus a firm glance. "If she is taught at the right level."

The orange-blue Autobot nodded; Optimus furrowed his mechanic brows at the hint of shame coming from the Commander. "Optimus," Ultra Magnus finally spoke after a long moment's silence, "I should like to apologize for the things I had said to you earlier. And, being told the same thing repeatedly that Amira needs to be taken easy on, I'm starting to listen, and...regret my actions towards her. And...you have a right to be angry with me, sir."

Optimus sighed upon hearing this. "I'm not so much as angry with you," he said, "but more disappointed. I had hoped that you would have no problem in training a child while I was berth-ridden. But I should have known you lacked the knowledge of training Amira, for you had never done so. And that is my fault. I have vowed that whatever becomes of Amira, it would be my doing. She is my creation, therefore, my responsibility."

Ultra Magnus chuckled. "I guess we are both at fault here." They both lightly laughed and met optics. "So, are we willing to conciliate?"

Optimus rested a hand on the Commander's shoulder plate. "No need to, old friend; our friendship had never faltered." They exchanged faint, yet warm smiles and watched the young scout spar with the Autobot child. Prime couldn't explain it, but every time he saw Amira smile or laugh, his spark fluttered in its chamber. It did the same with Elita-1. He saddened a little at her memories, but he didn't mourn, nor shed a single tear. He just slightly hung his helm, and smiled. _I am happy, Elita_, he thought. _The happiest I had ever been. And I promise to try and keep it that way. For us. For our daughter_.

"Optimus!"

Bee and Amira jumped in surprise and stopped in their tracks. The Prime suddenly turned around towards the deck to see a red mech racing towards the rail, grasping onto it fearfully. "What is it, Preceptor?" he asked.

"Cons!" the Autobot named Preceptor cried. "They're wreaking havoc on the city! Blasting everything in their path! And they're headed this way!"

"They must be searching for our base," said Ultra Magnus, "and they're doing it the way they find most fun: mutilating everything until they find what they seek. And if they find our base..."

"All hopes of winning this war will be crushed," Optimus Prime finished. "Ironhide, rally up the troops and prepare for battle. We must try and make it to the battlefield without revealing the entry point to our base." Ironhide nodded and raced down the deck to gather up the Autobots and divide them up into squadrons. Optimus sighed and turned towards the young Autobot. "Amira...It is time to put all you have learned to good use."

She gasped. "W-What do you mean? I'm...I'm going out there to fight?!" Fearful Energon tears began to flow from her optics as she broke out into silent sobs, hiding her face in her hands. "B-But I...I can't...! I'm not..."

Optimus approached her, knelt down to her height and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Amira, listen to me," he said gently, yet firmly. "I may have had you created because I wanted you, but you also exist to play your part as an Autobot. Remember when I said you will be capable of many things? And you will. You have already taken the first step. The next is out there. I have faith in you, my child."

"B-But...But w-what if...?" Amira stammered between sobs.

"Kid," said the Commander as he stepped forward, "if Optimus Prime believes you can do it, then you can. You have more power than you realize. All you have to do is to know when to fight. You'll know when the right time comes. I believe in you, kid."

Amira's sobs subsided, leaving faint whimpers and sniffs as she blinked tears. She looked from her father to Ultra Magnus then to Bumblebee, who smiled warmly through his eyes. 'You can do this,' he chirped, giving a thumbs up. 'I know you can. And don't worry. We'll be right with you out there.'

Amira seemed hardly convinced; her small body still racked with fearful shivers, numerous horrific thoughts of what could happen out there flooding her young mind. But a small part of her knew she couldn't just stand there and do nothing. She may have been created because Prime wanted a daughter, but she was also put on this planet to play her part as an Autobot, and that is to take place in this war and end it. She took in a deep breath of air, let it out slowly, then she met optics with Optimus Prime. "Okay," she said softly. "I'll do it."

Optimus smiled and stood tall as they all headed for the top floor of the Teletraan computers. "What are the Decepticons doing as of now, Preceptor?" he asked the red bot.

"Right now," Preceptor began to explain, gesturing to Teletraan-2, revealing the warship blasting at the crumpled buildings below, creating massive fires and explosions, "the _Nemesis_ is just blowing things up, trying to find this base. By calculating the ship's current speed and point of direction, the Decepticon armada aboard will arrive here in approximately...3 kliks."

"I fear that won't give us enough time to plan out a fool-proof strategy, Prime," Ultra Magnus muttered.

Optimus stared curiously at the screen. "What of our troops, Preceptor?"

"They have been rounded up. So far, they've managed to sneak out of the base without being detected."

"What is their current position?"

"Over here, Prime!" Optimus turned to see a second red Autobot, a bit bulkier, waving at him, signaling him to come and see. Optimus and the rest joined alongside him over by the holographic tables. "Our first unit is only twenty meters from the base entry point, awaiting orders from underneath that slab." He pointed to a large chunk of a building propped up on a tipped-over Energon transporter, leaving a space for them to hide and spy on the approaching warship.

Optimus studied the holographic map carefully. "I believe in order to stop the destruction is to draw out the Decepticons from their ship."

"That would mean getting our troops noticed."

"Exactly, Ironhide."

"You sure that's the safest way to go?"

"Prime knows the risks," Ultra Magnus assured, "so do our boys out there."

The red mech named Ironhide heaved a sigh as he stared at the hidden squadron on the map. "We've lost so many good soldiers in this fragging war. But...at least they go down with honor, fighting for their planet. And what the slag? Why not add me to the list as well?" He turned to the Autobot leader and grinned. "What's the strategy plan, boss-bot?"

"Rather simple," said Optimus. "Our troops out there make themselves noticeable. They will draw the ship's attention from the rest of the city, giving the rest of us the chance to leave without being spotted."

"But what if someone was watching us?" Amira suddenly asked, getting everyone's attention. "What if a Decepticon was watching us from the ship and plans to strike a hidden attack?"

While others seemed marveled at the child's curiosity, Prime seemed puzzled. "What would make you think that, Amira?" he asked.

"That." She pointed to the very tip in the bow of the ship. A magnetized image appeared of the tip. "Who's he?"

The Autobots glared. "Megatron," they said in unison.

Amira gasped. "He's the one who killed Mommy?"

The others wore funny looks and turned to prime. "_Mommy_?"

"Elita-1," Amira said.

The Autobots' dumbfounded looks changed to surprised. "Elita-1?!" Optimus merely glared at the magnetized image of the Decepticon warlord.

"Ironhide," he finally said, "tell those troops to come out of hiding and lure the _Nemesis_ out of this base's path."

"Yes, sir," Ironhide saluted and turned on his COM-link. "Men, new plan! Get out from under that slab of metal and lure that ship away from the base for as long as you can. The second round of troops will be out shortly to back you up."

They all turned towards Teletraan-2 and watched closely. They could see from the bottom left corner the first squadron racing across the screen, firing their blasters high in the sky towards the _Nemesis_. The bow of the ship languidly followed the Autobots' direction and began to power up the fusion cannons that lay beneath the ship. 'Yes,' Bumblebee whirred, 'it's working!'

"So far, anyway," Ironhide said. "So, what's the second step, Chief?"

"We must try and reach surface level," Optimus explained, "before the ship spots and focuses its attention on us."

"Then we better get rolling," said Ironhide with a grin.

Prime gave his helm a nod as the other Autobots headed down towards the ground floor, while Optimus stayed on the deck above them. Each of the soldiers lined up into equal teams and stood up straight. Amira lined up with Bumblebee, Arcee, and Cliffjumper, and other bots behind them. She couldn't hide what she was feeling: she was scared, scared of what could happen out there, and of what could happen to those she loves. An eerie feeling in her spark told her something was going to happen, but she didn't want to think about it. She focused her attention on the Autobot leader above her.

"Autobots," Optimus Prime began, "today we begin yet another incursion with Megatron and his forces, and I am sure it will end just as every other fight does. We will have victories. We will have losses. We will have injured. We will have casualties. And those who have become one with the All-Spark, may they forever be remembered for their bravery in fighting for their home. I am aware that when we step onto that battlefield, not all of us may walk away from it. But we must have hope, for it seems hope is the only thing we have left. I know we are few in numbers, but before me I see some of the bravest soldiers I've ever met. So few, yet so strong when bonded together. Men...and child...the Decepticons have poisoned our planet with war and tragedy for far too long. It is time we put an end to this war. We must know when to make a stand, and that time is now. We must know when to fight. That time is now." The Autobots pumped their fists and let out fierce battle cries.

"Autobots," Optimus exclaimed as he leaped over the rail and landed with a powerful thud in front of them, "transform!" Each Autobot transformed into their vehicle mode, and Amira activated her hover-board. "Let's roll out!" The bots all revved their engines and took off behind Optimus; they drove towards tunnels that ramped up to the surface level, driving at a speed quick enough to get to the top, but also slow and quiet enough so they don't alert the Decepticons.

Amira tilted the front of her board upward so she could glide up the ramp. Her father's mighty words replayed over and over in her mind. She prayed to Primus there would be no losses, no casualties, but that they would all walk away from the fight still functioning and in one piece. She knew when he mentioned those who've joined the All-Spark, he was thinking of her. Elita-1. She could see the sadness in his eyes; she couldn't blame him. Amira, after a thought, realized that a war for power, a war for power which began out of an act of jealousy over becoming a Prime, was a pointless one. Which meant, the deaths of the fallen Autobots were all needless. They didn't have to die. And the thought that they did made her a little angry. Optimus created her not just to be his daughter, but also to play her part in this war, and she hoped that she would make a difference in it. _Know when to fight_, she told herself repeatedly. _Know when to fight, know when to fight._ Still new to battle strategies, she wasn't quite sure when would be the best time. Then she remembered Ultra Magnus's words: _You'll know when the right time comes._

Light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Amira immediately forced her hover-board to a stop and she gasped. All around her were smoking, leaking Autobot bodies. The other bots halted in their tracks as well and gaped in shock at the scene before them. "No," Ultra Magnus gasped. "It's the first squadron."

"What's left of it," Bulkhead sighed heavily.

'But how?!' asked Bumblebee. 'We saw the ship veer away from here! How could they have finished off the first squadron so easily?!'

Amira shuddered. "Hidden attack," she whimpered. "S-Someone was waiting..." She looked over to Optimus, who was bent down over an Autobot carcass. She raced over to his side, only to once again stop where she stood. Her jaw fell to the ground as she saw Optimus Prime hunched over an Autobot she knew. "No...Blurr..."

There, below the Prime, was the speed-talking Autobot. His optics were gouged, and Energon heavily poured from his wounds. His chest cavity was torn open, and his spark chamber was crushed. Optimus sighed heavily while shaking his helm. "Oh, Blurr...You've done well, soldier." Amira's spark shattered at the sight of her friend's broken body. Large Energon tears fell from her optics as she clung to her father and sobbed.

"But what was he doing out here? He wasn't assigned to the first squadron, was he?" said Arcee.

"Of course not," Ultra Magnus muttered. "But you know the kid can get excited and impatient." He looked to the sobbing Autobot child and wore a sad smile. "There, there, kid. He's one with the All-Spark now."

Amira sniffed and wiped her optics. "H-He..." she whimpered, "He was...m-my friend...He...didn't have to die...How...How could this have happened?"

"I was about to ask the same question," Optimus said.

A distant sound caught Amira's attention. She closed her optics and listened closely. She picked up a faint droning noise that grew higher and higher in pitch. She recognized that sound instantly. It was a blaster charging up. She gasped and looked around. From a distance she could see an object on top of a building, and it pointed something directly at them. "Look out!" she cried and pushed Optimus violently onto his side, knocking him over.

"A-Amira, what are you-?!" Prime exclaimed, but fell silent as a blaster struck and vaporized the spot he once stood. Smoke arose from the blast and they followed the path of the blast to the same building Amira spotted something on the roof. That's when they heard a maniacal, powerful laugh erupt. Optimus narrowed his optics; he knew that laugh all too well. As he got to his feet, he realized that whatever was on the roof had now disappeared. "Autobots," he said in a deep voice, "be on your guard. I have the feeling we are being watched."

"That's because we are," Amira spoke quietly. The air suddenly fell to an eerie silence. The remaining Autobots transformed their servos into blasters and swords and stood motionless, listening for the slightest sound of movement. Amira felt that this was the perfect time to put her skills of stealth and sense to good use. She closed her optics and focused on only her sense of sound and touch. She waited for the faintest of noises and stood still so she could feel the slightest sign of movement by feeling vibrations through the metal. At last, she found something. "Something's above us," she whispered and slowly turned to look up. What she saw sent shivers through her chassis. Right above their heads was a deep-purple, bird-like bot with the Decepticon insignia, but without a face. It pointed a claw directly towards her. "Daddy!" she cried.

Optimus turned up and saw what she saw. "Soundwave!" he exclaimed and fired upon the silent Decepticon, as well as the other Autobots. But the black-screened Con avoided each blast and transformed into a jet, circling over their heads. Then, something departed from Soundwave and came hovering down towards them. It began firing at them and zoomed by. "Laserbeak," Prime growled in an annoyed tone. "The little tin-foiled turkey...Autobots, don't take your focus off of Soundwave! See to whatever he intends to do!"

"Yes, sir!" half of the team said and pointed their blasters at the black jet, firing constantly but missing their target. Soundwave continued to circle over them, around and around in the air. "What in the world is he doing?" Ironhide grumbled.

Amira didn't know what to do, she couldn't think straight. Who should she fight? Which one was the biggest threat? She just stood there jumping at the sound of blaster fire and the explosions that followed. She focused on the black jet flying above her. Why was he just circling over them? Why was half the team focused on him? A sudden jolt in her spark told her the answer. "Daddy!" she hollered over the blasts as she ran to him. "I think Soundwave is used to distract us!"

Optimus Prime gave that a quick thought then ceased fire. "Autobots, hold your fire!" he ordered and the Autobots stopped firing. He knelt down to Amira's height. "Now, what makes you think Soundwave is used to mislead us?"

"Uh, Prime?" Cliffjumper said nervously, looking beyond and around. Optimus did the same and slightly gasped. On each rooftop were numerous dark-purple, red-optic figures, surrounding them in a huge circle. Amira shivered at the unison tone of Decepticon blasters charging up. "Scrap."

"Soundwave _was_ misleading us, so we wouldn't notice the army," Arcee exclaimed as she powered up her firearm once more.

'But there's one key member of the army missing,' Bumblebee buzzed, swinging his blasters from one Con to another. Not a single one of them moved a muscle; all they did was aim their weapons at each Autobot.

Amira didn't expect a sudden surge to rattle her body; someone was close. She could feel it in the vibrations through the ground, and she could hear heavy footsteps approaching. Apparently Ironhide noticed the mysterious stalker as well. "Optimus, he's-!" the red mech fell silent as a bright, humongous purple blast struck him directly in the chest, through his spark chamber and out through the back of his chassis. A gaping, smoking, sizzling hole appeared within a nano-klik. Ironhide stood there choking on air while the others gawked at him completely horrified. His optics darkened before he even struck the ground, and Energon flowed from his hollow chest cavity. The Autobot child could hear his body permanently shut down and shuddered at the sight in complete chock, then once she came to her senses she stumbled backwards, gripped her helm and screamed at the top of her air vents.

"Ironhide!" Optimus shouted and ran to the side of his old friend. He didn't need to examine his body to know he was beyond repair. He let out a shuddered sigh and hung his helm. He had said there would be casualties. He didn't expect any to happen so quickly. Then the sound of a jet roaring overheard came, and shifting metal followed. Something landed with a heavy thud, and Optimus Prime didn't need to lift his helm to know who stood before him.

"Such a shame," said a deep, raspy voice. "I had heard he was an admirable soldier. You two fought in many battles together. But all things must come to an end. You should know that especially, Optimus Prime."

The Prime rose from the fallen Autobot's smoldering chassis and glared at the silver metal-pointed, red-optic, teeth-sharpened Decepticon. "Megatron," he said deeply from behind his face mask.

The Decepticon warlord only narrowed his optics and sneered. He then looked beyond the Prime to the Autobot army that pointed their blasters directly at him, ready to fire at any wrong move. Megatron then looked down to see a tiny bot peering out from behind Optimus's leg. He sinisterly grinned at the child. "And who might this be?" he asked. The little Autobot gasped and hid further behind Optimus, letting out light whimpers. "She seems to have taken a fond of you, Prime. Is she yours?" He got no answer, only a silent glare. Megatron slightly knelt down and leaned towards her. "What's her name?...Amira?"

Optimus's optics widened as he and Amira backed up a little. Megatron chuckled evilly. "Yes. I know her name, Optimus. Apparently instead of detecting the location of your secret base, we pick up recordings of little conversations between you and your pet. Soundwave?"

The silent Decepticon landed, transformed, and replayed the recordings they depicted.

'_No! I wanna go with you!_'

'_I am only heading upstairs. I will not go far._'

'_I wanna come! Please, Daddy! I don't wanna be by myself!_'

'_I went to Alpha Trion and told him to create a new kind of soldier. But really...I told him to create you because...I wanted a child of my own._'

The surprised look on Optimus's face, as well as the Autobots', made Megatron laugh. "I knew you were utterly spark-broken when you discovered Elia-1's dismantled chassis, but I never thought you would willingly go to Alpha Trion and have him make you a sparkling of your own! I never imagined you to be so desperate to have someone to love you, and for you to love in return. However," Megatron growled as he drew out his blade, "I'm afraid I cannot allow that. Why do you think I terminated Elita?"

Optimus backed up as he shielded the child Autobot behind him. "Amira," he said, "run."

"W-What?" Amira replied with a shiver, cowering under the warlord's malicious glare, hardly hearing what Prime told her to do.

"Run, now!" Optimus shouted. Megatron brought down his weapon and Prime blocked it with his own. "Amira," he strained under the weight, "run! Now!" Amira didn't want to leave her father there, but it was clear she had no choice. She told herself to run and she took off instantly out of sight.

"Very obedient, she is," Megatron sneered. "But extreme speed won't be enough to save her. I'll make you suffer, Optimus, no matter what it takes. Starscream," he turned towards his First Lieutenant, " leaded the Decepticons and go after that child! And bring her to me, whether she is functioning or not."

"No!" Optimus roared and shoved his foe backwards then turned towards his team. "Autobots! Do not let the Decepticons reach Amira!"

"Oh, now that's sad. You would rather send your team to do what you should be doing? I thought you were the girl's _daddy_," Megatron taunted. "But then again, you can't protect your daughter if your spark ceases beating!"

* * *

Amira ran as fast as she could away from the fight, her spark pulsing violently and uncontrollably in its chamber. She could hear the sound of blasters firing getting softer and softer the further she ran. However, she could sense someone was following her. She didn't need to look over her shoulder plate to know that five Decepticons were on her tail. Her spark told her to go back and try and fight, but Optimus told her to run, and she couldn't disobey. But she had nowhere she was running to; her father didn't tell her where to specifically run, so she chose any random corner and street through the ravaged city.

But everything came to a halt when she reached a dead-end in an alley. She stood there panting, fidgeting frantically. Where would she go now? She couldn't climb out, and turning back was out of the question. Not with the Decepticons surrounding her. She turned towards the mouth of the alley and froze. Three Decepticons blocked her only way out and stalked towards her, and two others towered over her on both sides, aiming their blasters right at her.

One of the approaching Decepticons sneered a grin, making Amira back up against the wall. She shuddered as she met optics with him and couldn't seem to pull away. "Going somewhere, _Amira_?" he slyly asked her.

She had no idea what to do; she just wanted to cower and cry. But she didn't. _Autobots don't cry..not when they're pinned, not when they've been beaten at practice...and not when they're afraid..._ Out of nowhere she sensed movement from the Con up on the left side of the alley, and she heard him charge up his blaster. She suddenly looked up to see she was corrected; then he fired. She let out a cry and shielded herself with her servos, then the deep-blue dome appeared. The blast shattered against the force field, and the absorbed power rippled down the walls of the dome to the ground. Not a single scratch was on Amira.

"A _force field_?!" Starscream exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted. "How is it that an Autobot can create a force field?!—Oh, never mind it! Get her!"

"I don't think so."

Starscream turned around at the voice only to get blasted down to the ground. Arcee, Bumblebee, and the Autobot named Sideswipe came rolling in and took down the other Decepticons, kicking them over and blasting at them until they fell. Amira watched the Autobots admirably as they fought courageously, not showing a sign of fear. They knew mostly when to fight, and her still being so young, she had no idea. That, and she prayed she had the courage to take on all five Decepticons at once.

The two Cons on the roofs engaged with Arcee and Swipe while Bumblebee handled Starscream. He tossed the lean, heeled Con against the wall and watched him crash to the ground, laying there limp and groaning. He turned to the awe-struck Autobot child and bent down to her height. 'Are you okay, Amira?' he whirred worriedly.

"That was amazing!" Amira cheered as she wrapped her servos around Bee's neck. "Oh, and yes, I'm okay."

"Come on, kid," said Sideswipe. "Let's get you back to—_AAUGH!_" The black-and-white Autobot suddenly collapsed to the ground as someone blasted him from behind.

"Sideswipe!" Arcee exclaimed and ran to his side and began examining him. "Not too serious. He'll live. But what—Bee, behind you!"

The scout turned around only get sucker-punched and fell to the ground. "Bumblebee!" Amira cried. Then she felt someone tightly grip her neck from behind and yanked her back, then lifted her up in the air.

Arcee growled as she pointed her blasters to the child's captor. "Let her go, Starscream, or I'll-!"

"You'll what?" Starscream hissed as he spat Energon to the ground. "You'll shoot? Now, you wouldn't want to risk harming the daughter of Prime, now, would you?" Arcee glared as she took a step closer, then the Con drew out his clawed digits and held them only millimeters over Amira's abdomen. "One more step, and the girl gets gutted, and we'll both watch her drain herself dry." Amira shuddered fearfully as she looked to Arcee with pleading optics. The blue, femme Autobot sighed agitated and lowered her weapons. "That's a good little Autobot. But it's a shame"—he clawed at Amira's stomach—"that Decepticons don't always keep their word."

* * *

Optimus was engaged in combat with Megatron while the rest of the Autobots fought the Decepticon army. He locked blades with Megatron's and glared harshly at the dark warlord. Megatron, however, enjoyed receiving these looks from the Prime. It let him know what Optimus was feeling, and that was a joy to watch his emotions flow. And he knew they would flow when Optimus will be forced witness what he planned to do to the child. But of course, he always had something else in mind.

They both stopped at a sudden cry. It was a long, high-pitched howl of pain. Optimus's optics widened completely as he turned towards the cry. "No," he gasped behind his battle mask. "Amira..." Megatron bore his jagged teeth as he grinned sinisterly and struck Optimus from behind.

"Such a shame, once again," Megatron said with mocking sorrow. "You do not know of your little pet's fate. She could be alive, or barely clinging to life, or that could have been the last sound you'll ever hear from her."

Optimus prayed to Primus that it wasn't. His spark flooded with worry for Amira, but he had a deep feeling inside that she was alright, and he stood up, taking deep, slow breaths. Then he swung his blade, roaring an angry battle cry that left the other Autobots and Decepticons silent. They all watched the leaders of both ranks battle greatly, mercilessly, knowing that soon, one would stand, and the other would fall. When their blades clashed together, sparks flew and scattered everywhere; their blaster fire echoed throughout the ruins of the city when they collided and shattered to particles. The soldiers could only watch.

They locked swords once more and Megatron leaned in on Optimus. "I've made you suffer once, and I will make sure your soldiers see you suffer again! Oh, you have no idea how much fun it was to see you mourn over the loss of Elita-1. I can only imagine what you will do when I hold your daughter's head in my hands." This only enraged Optimus even more, just as he expected it would. But the Prime did not strike out of anger, only striving to push Megatron off of him. "You don't deserve love, Optimus," Megatron jeered, "whether it's you loving someone, or someone loving you. No, you deserve pain"—he swung his free hand upward into Optimus's abdomen, causing the Autobot leader to pull away and stumble—"and anguish"—he struck the Prime in his chest, causing him to fall to the ground; Megatron pinned him with his foot as he pointed his blaster directly at Optimus's spark—"and...death."

"No!" the Autobots all cried out. "Optimus!"

Optimus dazedly glanced up, seeing the war-mongering Con aiming for his spark chamber. He was slightly stunned, he couldn't move, his mind was bouncing everywhere. Thoughts ran through his mind on what he should do. As Megatron's blaster began to charge up, Prime could suddenly see him and Amira, hearing himself laughing with her, feeling his spark flutter happily. He wondered if he would ever feel that same happiness ever again. But seeing her, his greatest creation, made him aware and ponder on what her fate would be after he was gone. No...he couldn't think about that, but he could see it: living a life-long torture under Megatron's hand, transformed into a Decepticon experiment, or basically terminated on the spot after he passed. He didn't want to see anymore.

"No..." he heard himself mutter. "No...No...!" He began to raise his voice as he raised his servos up and gripped his hands onto Megatron's ankle. "No!" He twisted his ankle violently, causing Megatron to shift over, giving Optimus the chance he needed. He pushed Megatron's foot off his chest and jumped to his feet, not wasting a second. He charged towards Megatron and brought down as much power he had, throwing one punch after another, jabbing him in the stomach and the neck, kicking him square in the chest and in the sides, swinging his fists directly into Megatron's face plate.

The Decepticon warlord stumbled back with one hand over his face while Energon dribbled from his mouth. He didn't have time to react to Optimus charging; Prime swung his fist, and Megatron went flying backwards, landing on a pile of rubble. Pain racked his body as he wheezed groans and strived to sit up. As much as he hated it, this fight was once again lost. "D-Decepticons..." he said weakly, "r-retreat...!" He watched the Decepticons flee from the courtyard as he struggled to get to his feet, only to be knocked down again by Optimus. "No more, Optimus," he cried, "I yield! You won this fight! Have mercy!"

Optimus towered over the feeble warlord with his blade ready. "Megatron," he said powerfully through his battle mask, "you are one who doesn't deserve mercy. No matter how much you may beg for it. Now...upon this day, you shall pay for your crimes against Cybertron and its inhabitants. Beg all you like." He raised his blade high in the air. "It will not save you."

"Oh, I wouldn't, Optimus."

Prime turned around at the voice and he gasped. Three Decepticon troopers approached while dragging Arcee, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe behind them, and Starscream was in the lead with Amira in his grasp. He held her by her neck, and his left claw was soaked in Energon. And there were five slashes of various sizes across Amira's abdomen, each excreting Energon at a steady rate. It ran down her body to her legs and dripped off her feet while she hung there, shuddering in pain while tears flowed from her tightly shut optics. "No..." he exclaimed softly.

Megatron sneered as he swung his leg, knocking Optimus onto his back while he stood up. He kicked Prime aside as he slightly limped towards his First Lieutenant. "Excellent work, Starscream. I almost doubted you would succeed." He approached the shivering child and chuckled evilly at the sight of her Energon-soaked chassis. "My, she doesn't look well. Must have lost already one-third of her reserves. Tell me child, are you in pain?" he asked her. Amira didn't answer; she only whimpered at the sound of Megatron's merciless tone. "Allow me to end your misery." He drew out his blade once more and prepared to swing.

"No, don't!" Optimus cried as he got to his feet and ran over to them, pointing his blasters at both Megatron and Starscream.

"Ah." Megatron pointed his blaster at him. "One wrong move, Optimus, and the girl's body will be ripped to pieces." Amira trembled and lightly sobbed. Optimus just stood there, angrily and fearfully panting while he kept his weapons locked onto the Decepticon leader and his First Lieutenant. "However," Megatron announced after a moment, "I am feeling a slight bit of generosity. Since this fight is already lost, I am willing to let you keep your pet. As long as you let me go free."

"No, Optimus," the Autobots shouted.

"You think me a fool, Megatron?!" Optimus asked harshly.

"Oh, of course not, Prime, but I know you must be willing to do anything to ensure your daughter's safety. I mean, you are her father. And you wouldn't want her to end up like Elita-1, now, do you?"

"Optimus, you aren't really going to believe him?!" exclaimed Bulkhead.

Optimus didn't answer, he kept his glare on Megatron while aiming his blasters at him and Starscream. "How can I guarantee you will keep your word?"

"Once you lower your weapons, I will have Starscream hand you your daughter, as well as your men here"—he gestured to Arcee, Bumblebee and Sideswipe behind him—"and we will go our separate ways," Megatron replied.

"Don't fall for it! It's obviously a trick, Optimus!" Preceptor shouted.

Optimus just stood there glaring. After a while, Megatron nodded to the three Cons behind him and they approached with their captives, laying them amongst the Autobot army while they kept their blasters pointed at them. Then the Cons backed away. "There," said Megatron, "your soldiers are safe. Now, lower your weapons, and you shall have your little creation." Optimus kept his position. He fully understood there could be a trap behind this. But he felt he had no choice. After a moment, he slowly powered down his weapons and lowered them.

"Amazing. You actually believed me." Megatron fired his blaster.

All optics widened as the blast struck Optimus directly into his chest. The armor protecting his spark tore apart as the blast dug deeper, cracking then shattering the chamber that contained his spark. Energon poured from the gaping wound as Prime choked on air. He felt his body going limp, his legs gave in from beneath him, and he collapsed onto his back with a powerful blow.

"_NOOO!_" the Autobots howled as they all stood in shock.

"_DADDY!_" Amira screamed. Not a word came from the fallen Prime.

"My, I bet no one expected that. Very well, Optimus," Megatron announced, "you may have your daughter." He nodded to Starscream, who tossed Amira towards Optimus's body. She got to her knees and began crawling to him while sobbing.

"Shall we make a retreat, my liege?" Starscream asked.

"Not quite yet. I wish to bear witness of Prime's demise, and watch the child suffer."

Amira crawled to her father's side and knelt there over his body. "D-D-Daddy..." she whimpered.

Optimus slowly opened his flickering optics and wearily gazed upon his daughter. He tried to smile but his strength was fading quickly. "Oh, Amira," he whispered.

"Daddy...y-you're leaking...A-Are you...?" Amira couldn't finish the sentence, and she sobbed harder when he confirmed her question. "N-No! Y-You can't! Please, Daddy! Don't...Don't go! I...I don't wanna be alone!"

Optimus lightly coughed and spat Energon as he reached up to touch her teary face. "Y-You...won't be alone...I promise," he said softly. "I-I understand...you are scared...but you mustn't be...You must be...strong...You must...continue fighting...I know...you still have s-so much to learn...but you will learn it..."

"Daddy," Amira wept.

Optimus got the strength to smile as he wiped her tears away, but they constantly kept flowing. His own eyes watered and Energon tears dribbled down the sides of his face plate. "Be strong...and...do not g-grieve, my child...my daughter...my greatest...crea...tion..." His body relaxed, and his optics went dark. The chilling sound of his chassis powering down for good was like an asteroid striking the Autobots in their sparks.

Amira gasped fearfully. "No...No, Daddy..." she whimpered. "Wake up. Please...wake up. Daddy, wake up!" She shook his body, but there was no movement. Her face cringed as she gripped her helm and cried. "No! No Daddy! Noooo!" She pressed herself against his chest and wailed sorrowfully, then began sobbing uncontrollably, begging Optimus Prime to wake up. He never did.

It made the Autobots feel sick to see Megatron grinning at Amira's mourning, and the demise of their leader. They couldn't believe it. Just like that, Optimus Prime was terminated. Tears fell among them all as they hung their heads. There was no point in fighting anymore. Just as Megatron had put it, this fight is lost.

Amira's cries became frantic, sobbing gasps as she sat up, pressing her hands into the ground. Megatron approached her; she didn't move a single fiber in her body. "Your spark must be in anguish, young one," he said. He didn't expect her to reply, and she didn't. "I would be more than happy to end your suffering, and allow you to join your beloved Optimus in the All-Spark."

'No!' Bee buzzed. 'Don't, Megatron!'

The evil warlord ignored the pleas of the scout and glared down at the child. Her sobbing and heavy breathing subsided, and now she merely knelt there with her helm hanging. "I shall take your silence as a confirmation." He drew out his blade again. Amira kept still with her optics closed, whispering something Megatron could not hear, nor did he care. He held his weapon high in the air. "Now, because you are quite young, I will do the honors to make your demise quick and painless." Amira didn't move at all. He smirked, and brought down his weapon.

"NOOO!" the Autobots cried.

Megatron's blade collided. But not with Amira's head. His optics widened, as did everyone's. Instead with the child's body, Megatron lashed with another sword—one which appeared from her servo. The Autobots gawked at the sight. Amira just blocked Megatron's attack with her own blade. Megatron growled at her and pressed his weight upon her, but she never faltered. She slightly raised her helm and opened her optics, immediately locking onto his. There was something different about her, and it was seen in her eyes. There was no fear, nor pain, nor anguish. There was...something else. No one could believe it when they saw Amira slowly stand up, still withstanding Megatron's strength. "And just what do you think you are doing, little one?" he asked her.

Amira glared and replied, "Knowing when to fight." Even the tone of her voice was different. Her words didn't quiver. She spoke boldly, yet calmly. She took a step forward. He took one back. He couldn't believe it, but the child was forcing him back. And when he tried to push her forward, he failed. Then with a grunt, she shoved him backwards with the swing of her weapon. Megatron went flying backwards and landed on a pile of fallen Cybertronian warriors. The Autobot child stood tall with her blade still drawn out, glaring at the evil warlord from where he lay. Then she turned her head towards Starscream. The lean Decepticon yelped fearfully, transformed into vehicle mode and took off.

Amira watched him fly off then looked down to Optimus's lifeless chassis. She let out a faint sigh then faced the three remaining Vehicon troopers. She transformed her servo back then held her hand out towards them, all three of them puzzled and fearing of what she intended to do. Glaring deeply at them, she twitched her digits, and something unbelievable happened. The Autobots gaped at the sight of the Energon being sucked out of the Vehicons and flowing into Amira's hand. "By the All-Spark..." Arcee gasped. "Is that supposed to be...?"

"Indeed it is," Ultra Magnus nodded. "The Energon Harvester."

"But how?!" Bulkhead exclaimed as he watched Amira suck the Vehicons dry. "How is she able to possess the power of the Harvester?!"

"I'm not sure."

The three Vehicons collapsed, completely empty. Amira then faced Optimus Prime and extended her other hand out to him. Kneeling over him, the Energon she extracted from the Vehicons flowed out of her hand and into Optimus's spark.

'What is she doing now?!' Bumblebee asked.

Ratchet stepped forward, faintly smiling. "She's healing him."

Amira watched as the Energon surged from her hands into Prime's spark and throughout the rest of his body. His veins lit up from the Energon flowing through them once again, and his chassis began to slowly power up. Mechanics clicked and circuitry sizzled; Amira finished pumping the Energon into him and realized that his shattered spark was now whole again. She noticed his optics flickering and brightening up and she faintly smiled. Then Optimus bucked as he took in a gulp of air and coughed. Amira stood up and looked to the medic. "Ratchet," she called to him and he immediately came running to him. "Tend to him."

Optimus's optics adjusted themselves to see ratchet kneeling and Amira standing beside him. He tried to speak, "...Amira..." but his words came out raspy and unclear.

"Save your strength, Optimus," Ratchet told him. "Though you've only been away for a few minutes, death can take its toll."

Optimus looked wearily from Ratchet to Amira, who continued to smile down upon him, then looked back to the medic. "R-Ratchet...w-what...happened...?"

Ratchet and Amira both looked up and frowned to see the Decepticon army returning. "I shall explain later, Optimus. Right now I need you off the battlefield. Bulkhead, I'll need you!"

The large green Autobot came running towards them and helped Ratchet lift the exhausted Prime off the ground by lifting him by his legs, and they carried Optimus off of the battlefield towards the Autobots. "Oh man, Optimus," he said giddily, "you should have seen Amira suck the Energon out of the Vehicons and put it into you! It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Prime was surprised at what Bulkhead had just said. "W-What...?" Then he saw that Amira was still in the courtyard, out in the open. "N-No...get her...out of there..."

"With all due respect, Optimus, sir," said Ultra Magnus as he and the other Autobots surrounded him, "but I have a feeling she will be just fine."

The Decepticons jumped from the rooftops and surrounded Amira, aiming their blasters at her while she didn't even flinch. "You little pest! You'll pay for what you did to our lord and master!" one of them shouted.

Amira glared at him. "What I've done to him?" She turned her whole body towards him. "Look around you. This is what your lord and master has done. To all of us. To Cybertron. And you all are fools for following him. But you are all guilty for your crimes just as Megatron is of his own." Sparks began to flicker around her. They grew immensely and expanded far from her, and a sapphire-blue dome appeared. Massive jolts of energy and light cracked as they bounced off of the dome, which slowly grew larger and larger around Amira's body, and the light grew brighter and brighter. The Autobots all stood back; they knew what was coming. "Now. All of you!" she shouted to the Decepticons. "_DIE!_" She flung her servos out to her sides, and the dome expanded dramatically, consuming the Decepticons around her. The jolts of lightning contacted with their sparks and they all howled in pain, but mere nano-kliks later they dropped to the ground, completely lifeless. The Cons panicked and tried to escape, but their efforts were proven futile and worthless, for they were caught within the dome. After a moment, Amira dropped her servos, and the dome faded. All around her, half of the Decepticon army lay dead, while the other half fled once more.

The Autobots were shocked and joyous, but none more joyous than Optimus Prime. He gawked at the sight before him with his jaw to the ground. Did he just see what he thought he saw? His lips curled into a smile of admiration.

"No! My army!" Megatron howled from his distance. With an angry yell he ran towards Amira, transformed into his jet-mode then soared over her, firing at her. Amira crossed her servos and the force field appeared. Megatron's blasts bounced off the shield and numerous ripples surged from their contact point to the ground. He circled around her and attacked from behind, but the shield protected her from all angles. She was untouchable. "Curse you to the pit, you little pest!" Megatron hissed. Then he transformed into robot-mode and landed in front of her. Amira lowered her shield and glared at him. "I'll rip you apart!"

"If you can," Amira simply said and transformed her servo into a blade.

Her fearless approach enraged the evil Decepticon leader, and he drew out his sword again and charged, wailing an angry battle cry. Megatron swung his sword powerfully; Amira merely deflected his attack, knocking him aside, causing him to stumble. He got back up and attacked head-on again, but the child Autobot knocked him away again with a flick of her weapon. Megatron roared as he lunged towards her. He was curious: where did this child's sudden act of courage appear? Only moments ago she was trembling in fear and sobbing. Now she expressed no emotions at all. And was she always this powerful, or had she recently obtained this kind of brute strength? Whatever the reason, Megatron not only hated her because it seemed he couldn't touch her; he also feared her. The two clanged swords and spark flew all across the courtyard. He strained against her strength, but when he applied his own, she never gave in, even with her injuries. She took steps forward, he took steps backward. Her flaring optics locked onto his, and he couldn't seem to pull away. "Who...Who in the pits of Kaon...are you?" he asked her.

Amira twisted her blade as she slowly answered, "I am the daughter of Prime." Then with a powerful push of her weapon she knocked Megatron backwards and watched him try and catch himself. Then she transformed her servo back and took a running stance. Megatron didn't even see her charge, but only heard her own battle cry as she raced towards him, leapt up and kicked him back halfway across the courtyard. He skidded across the ground like a skipping rock over a pond then settled. To the Autobots, it was astonishing to see this tiny Autobot take on the most powerful of the Decepticons alone. But to Megatron, it was outright bizarre.

Readjusting his optics, he could see Amira approaching him once more; he slightly cowered at the plain look on her face. His fear of her overpowered his hatred and he backed away. Then he transformed once more and took off. "No, he's getting away!" Cliffjumper shouted from behind and the Autobots began to try and shoot him down.

Amira watched him fly by. "No, he's not." She drew out her blade again. The Autobots ceased fire when they watched her weapon suddenly glow bright blue. They all became curious of what was going to happen next and fell silent. She kept her optics locked onto Megatron, then with a yell, she sliced her glowing sword through the air. A stream of light arose from the path the sword was swung and rolled like a wave ready to crash onto a shore towards Megatron. It struck his wing, and he began to spiral out of control.

The Autobots cheered behind her but she paid no mind to them. Amira then took off towards where Megatron had crashed, and the Autobots raced after her, shouting, "Incredible!" "I've never ever seen anything like it!" "I just know the war will end today, I know it!" "Optimus is lucky to have a kid like that!" Optimus was not only lucky. He was proud. He smiled as Bulkhead and Ratchet helped him function and mumbled, "That's my girl..."

They all kept a distance from Amira and Megatron as she approached him. Ratchet and Bulkhead helped Optimus get to the front of the crowd and had him kneel down. They all watched Amira tower over Megatron's limp, battered body, pointing her blaster at his spark. He wearily opened his optics and groaned. "You...you are no mere Autobot...You are...an abomination."

"I am merely doing what I was programmed to do," she said, and the Autobots laughed when the warlord jumped at the sound of the child's voice, "to play my part in winning this war...by terminating the source. Megatron," she announced as she aimed her weapon, "your war-mongering days are over. You shall pay for your crimes against my father, the Autobots, and Cybertron."

"N-No..." Megatron croaked. "Amira...grant me mercy. Please. I beg of you...!"

Amira slightly narrowed her optics. "Such a shame that you, who are without mercy, now pleads for it. I guess you are not the merciless Decepticon I've been told you are. But, as my father put it, you can beg all you like. It won't save you." She began to charge up her blaster and Megatron cowered. The few seconds that passed felt like minutes.

"Unless," Amira abruptly said, getting Megatron's attention, "you are willing to end this war peacefully by surrendering." The Autobots gasped. They expected her to fire right then and there, but now she was giving him the option to surrender. However, Optimus had expected her to, and he was proud that she did. It proved that she could show mercy, despite the crimes someone had committed. "Your choice depends on how much you value your life. You can either refuse and you die right here, or you can surrender and live the rest of your cold, sparkless life in prison, while you still have life. Tell me, Megatron," she leaned in close to him, "do you value your life?"

"Y-Yes! I do! I value my life!" Megatron exclaimed as he knelt down and hung his helm. He took deep, raspy, shuddering breaths; fear racked his body. He had figured she would have never given him the choice, but he was actually thankful she had. "Very well..." he sighed sorrowfully and deeply. Amira gave a single nod, powered down her weapon and lowered it.

"Fool."

No one saw it coming until it was too late. They only heard the sound of a sword being sheathed, the crunch of metal, and a choked gasp. When they were finally able to understand what happened, they stood frozen with their Energon running cold. Both Amira and Megatron were motionless, but his servo was pointed directly at her with his blade embedded into her upper abdomen and stuck out her back. Her optics were wide and in shock. Megatron slowly raised his helm, the sinister grin once again on his lips. His blaster quickly charged and fired. The blast was powerful enough to knock Amira away, while also piercing through her body completely.

The Autobots were dumbstruck. Their optics were widened as much as they could as they watched the child Autobot fall back. Their jaws hit the ground, they couldn't breathe, they couldn't move. From his height, Optimus could see Megatron's hideous smirk—right through his daughter's body. He felt utterly sick as his entire, revived body ran numb. His throbbing spark pounded in its rebuilt chamber as he whispered, "...A...mi...ra..." He watched in horror as her body fell to the ground, completely motionless.

Megatron struggled to his feet, but once he managed to stand, he threw his helm back and yelled triumphantly before laughing maniacally. "My army! Return!" he commanded, and the remaining Decepticons appeared. He glared at the Autobots. "You must all be fools if you think I am that easily beaten. Now Autobots, prepare to die!" The Decepticon army fired at them all.

"No! Autobots," Ultra Magnus yelled, "attack!" While Megatron transformed and flew towards the warship, the Autobot army then took off and engaged in combat with the Decepticons—all but one.

Once the fighting became distant, Optimus slowly got to his feet and gazed in front of him where he saw a pile of crimson-red armor lay among the rubble. He choked on a gasp as he trudged his way there. The short walk seemed like an eternity. When he got close enough he stopped. He looked down at the small body below him with a smoking hole directly where the spark was supposed to be. But now there was nothing there, only a puddle of Energon filling the hole. The child's optics were partially open and they were as dark as they could be. The mouth was slightly ajar and Energon dribbled from the corner of her mouth. No sign of movement. No sign of life.

Tears abruptly poured from his optics as he collapsed onto his knees, covering his face with both hands. He sobbed softly, uncontrollably, while his body trembled and shook. Tears flowed through his hands and trickled down his servos. For a moment he couldn't breathe, and once he was able to he let out shaking, loud sobs. He lowered his hands as they reached for the broken body in front of him, slowly pulled it towards him into his lap, cradled it and rocked back and forth. He shuddered each breath he took in as tears dripped from his face onto the child he held tightly in his arms. While his spark was newly healed, it seemed to have broken again. For a third time. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. But it was what it was. His greatest creation was lost.

He gazed into her black optics and closed them with trembling hands. He kissed the top of her helm and continued to rock back and forth. Then he suddenly found himself singing.

"_Don't...s-shed a tear..._

_N-No need t-to...feel a-afra-aid..._

_Lead y-your spark...t-to the s-stars a-above..._

_A-And dream a-away..._

_Until...t-the d-dawn's rising..._

_R-Reme-ember...that y-you are...that you a-are...t-that..._"

He couldn't finish it. It hurt too much. Just like before the pain swelled up within him and it was too much for him to contain. He threw his helm back and howled. It almost seemed everyone on Cybertron, even Primus himself, must've heard his cry of anguish, because the distant fighting fell silent.

* * *

That night was the darkest night to have ever fallen upon Cybertron. The Autobots were forced to retreat from the fight; they were only glad that their base was still undetected. As expected, Optimus was the last to enter. They all wanted to give him their condolences, but they knew no words would help him now. His helm was hung so low they couldn't see his tears, but bots knew they were there.

They couldn't resist looking away at the sight of Amira's body in Prime's arms. It was just too much, and they each felt they had suffered enough for one day after what they had experienced. But none would suffer more than the spark-broken Autobot leader. Optimus just walked right by them, blocking all their words out, as he headed for the infirmary.

Ratchet heard the door slide open and turned around only to see a sorry sight: a trembling Optimus with a lifeless body in his arms. He dropped everything and ran to his friend's side, closed the door behind him, and helped him into a chair. He took Amira's body and laid it on the berth, then he began examining him. He noticed he looked utterly sick and Energon stained the corners of his mouth; no doubt made himself sick from the sobbing. Ratchet couldn't blame him. Aside from that, he looked utterly exhausted. Streaks that ran from his optics down to his chin stained his face plate and his body was slightly convulsing. "Oh, Optimus," Ratchet whispered as tears formed in his eyes. His spark felt it had been ripped from its chamber. He absolutely hated seeing his old friend this way. The last time he had seen him like this was when Elita-1 was killed. But this...this was far worse. "I don't know what I can say to help things except I am sorry. I am so sorry."

Optimus merely nodded his helm as his lip quivered once more. He had no strength to hold his emotions back. The tears returned and he hung his helm, hiding his face in his hands. Ratchet did his best to hug him, but he knew nothing he could do to cheer him up. With his helm pressed against the Prime's back, he could've sworn he heard the chamber of his spark crack. "You...had me worried when you were out so long," he tried to say without choking on his words. "I thought something had happened to you, too...or you had done something to yourself."

Optimus gruffly sniffed as he wiped his optics. He shook his head. "N-No," he said, sounding a bit stuffy. "I...I went to talk to Alpha Trion."

"Oh...well that explains why you took so long." He gave Amira's body a second look and realized the hole in her chest was completely repaired. "I see that her body's been fixed up. Was that Alpha Trion's doing"" Optimus nodded. "Alright...well...what did the two of you talk about?" Ratchet asked.

Optimus sighed heavily as he thought back...

* * *

_Alpha Trion was working on Vector Sigma when he heard someone enter. He turned around and saw Optimus Prime enter his laboratory with Amira's broken body. "Oh, Optimus," he whispered sorrowfully. "I heard what happened," he said. "I am so sorry, my boy."He rested a comforting hand on the sobbing Prime's shoulder, then took Amira's body and laid it on his examination table. "You know the best I can do is to repair the body. I...do not have the power to reanimate her spark. Even if I could, she would not be the little Autobot you knew."_

_Optimus sighed woefully with a nod and sat down. Alpha Trion powered up his machines and they began to repair the damage done to Lily's body. While they did their magic, Alpha Trion knelt beside Optimus and they sat together in silence. After a while, the elderly Autobot asked, "There is another reason you came to me, isn't there?" Optimus met eyes with him. "You've seen her capabilities." _

_Optimus nodded. "The power she possessed...It was...unlike anything I've ever seen with my own optics. W-What...What was that?" he asked with a sniff._

_Alpha Trion smiled warmly. "My dear Optimus Prime," he said, "did you not think I would discover the reason you wanted me to build Amira?" Prim gasped. "I knew you didn't want her created originally because you thought a super-soldier would help win the war...but because you wanted a daughter. So, I made you one. Why do you think she immediately recognized you as her father, and not me?" Optimus pondered for a moment then his eyes widened. "Yes. Because I gave her the same CNA code as you, so you were officially father and daughter."_

_Optimus had never thought of that. All that time he thought that Amira had just guessed or chose randomly. "But...what of her powers?"_

"_Now that is the super-soldier part of her. Tell me. What have you seen?"_

_Prime thought back. "Well...when I had awoken, I had heard that Amira had sucked the Energon out of three Vehicons...and placed it into my body so I could live."_

_Alpha Trion nodded. "That was her ability to heal, just as you requested, and that was also the work of her own Energon Harvester."Optimus's optics widened. "What else?"_

"_Well," Prime began, "I did see her generate this...power charge, and when it made contact with the Decepticons, they almost instantly dropped dead. But...that couldn't be the...?"_

_Alpha Trion nodded. "The Spark-Extractor." He gestured him to continue._

_Optimus pondered further back. "Her sword...it illuminated a blue light...and when she swung it, it gave of a powerful wave of energy."_

_The elderly bot grinned with another nod. "That is correct. The Star Saber." Optimus scoffed a little in surprise. "You see, Optimus Prime, Amira was indeed special, and not just because she was the first of her kind. But because she was gifted with the power of the Primes. Do you know why I gave her those abilities? Because I know you didn't ask me to." Optimus shook his helm. "Because the one thing that made her unique, the one thing, is that she is the daughter of a Prime." Optimus gasped a little; he should have expected that. _

_Then, the repairing equipment hissed and powered down. "Ahh, they are finished," Alpha Trion said. He gently picked up Amira's repaired body and handed it to Optimus. "And Optimus...due to the events that took place today...I am afraid I cannot risk the heartbreak of many other Autobots over the loss of children they've grown to love...just as you did with Amira. So...I have no choice but to abort your plan of creating an army of super-soldiers."_

_Optimus didn't even care anymore whether his plan was endorsed or not. In fact, he almost didn't care about anything at that point. "I completely understand, Alpha Trion," he said softly while gazing at Amira's body. Although he held a sparkless husk, it appeared that she was merely sleeping in his arms._

_Alpha Trion rested a hand on his shoulder. "Take care...my son," he said softly. Optimus Prime gave him a nod, turned away and trudged back towards the Autobot headquarters. He looked back on the happy memories he and his greatest creation shared together. But now his beloved daughter's spark has disappeared forever. It will be extinguished, forever. The hopes of ever feeling that same kind of happiness again faded away, and Optimus sobbed during his journey back to the secret base._

* * *

Ratchet gawked at Optimus, not sure whether to believe what he had heard or not. "You're not serious," he exclaimed, but Optimus only nodded. "The power of the Primes?!" He looked upon the child's body and sighed a scoff. "By the All-Spark...You had told me she would be capable of many things...And my only regret is ever doubting her when she and I first met." He faced Optimus. "I must ask...What do you intend on doing with her body? I mean...it will eventually rust away."

Optimus shuddered a sigh as he glanced at his daughter, laying there on the berth; he ran his digits under his optics to wipe away the oncoming tears and stood up. "I want to keep it here for now. Our home planet is becoming more and more uninhabitable every day, and many of our troops are jumping at the chance of boarding a ship and taking off into the far reaches of space. And...I am now thinking of doing the same. If I have to, I will carry her body wherever I may go. I'm hoping it will someday...someday...be of good use to me...or to anyone else."

Ratchet nodded. "I understand...And if you are leaving, then I am going with you."

Optimus sighed. "No...you are needed here."

"Optimus, no offense, but you are in no condition to travel in space. Not after what you went through today."

The Prime sighed; the medic did have a point. "Very well, old friend." They both smiled faintly. He faced Amira's body and his smile fell as he approached it. He stroked the side of her cold face plate as one single Energon tear fell from his eye and dripped over her hollow chest.

* * *

Not long after, Optimus Prime had announced to the Autobots that he was leaving Cybertron to try and protect distant planets from Megatron's wrath, and that a few could accompany him and Ratchet. He chose Bumblebee and Bulkhead. He told them that while he was away, they were under Ultra Magnus's command. Optimus, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet boarded their own ship and took off into the stars, soaring through space. Their ship knocked them all into stasis, and the next time they awoken, they were crash-landing towards a blue planet far from Cybertron. Their ship landed in the middle of a desert in a place called "Jasper, Nevada" in the "United States of America", and they discovered this planet named Earth was heavily inhabited with life, including the most complex species: the human race. They chose different vehicle modes so they could hide in plain sight amongst the humans, but soon the US military discovered their secret. It took a while for them to convince the humans they were the good guys and that they were there to protect them from the Decepticons, and the humans were willing to give them a secret missile silo hidden within a mountain in the desert. That is where they've been ever since, and a man named William Fowler became their eyes and ears for any sort of Decepticon activity. Bulkhead and Bumblebee had made themselves comfortable, Ratchet began modifying the Earth's technology with Cybertronian tech, and Optimus continued his role as the Autobot leader upon this planet. He then chose to preserve his daughter's body in a storage room with the number 87 on the door, and it's been closed ever since.

Prime never expected one human little girl to change that.


End file.
